strathspey@strathspey.org:28038

Harrison, Rosemary M

RE: Lead up - which hand?

Nov. 4, 2001, 8:47 p.m. (Message 28038, in reply to message 28002)

From my memories of dabbling in historical dance a couple of decades ago,
the earlier periods of court dancing tended to have the "man's palm down,
woman's palm up" type of hold, which I think evolved gradually by stages
into the "shake-hand" hold common today. If this is correct then it would be
consistent with a preference for taking nearer hands in earlier periods,
since a right hand lead would be awkward unless a "shake-hand" way of taking
hands were used.

Rosemary M Harrison 
Colchester UK