Last night, at the Empty Bottle, during one of the last songs, I led a sweetheart pattern while dancing with a follow for the first time. When I first started swing dancing two and a half years ago, one of my first instructors talked about leading with the body. At various times, I thought I knew what he meant by that. But while leading that sweetheart move, the idea made more sense.

Leading with the body has to do with timing. When one leads with the body, one telegraphs the upcoming movement in a way that gives the follow time to respond to it. When leading without the body, the lead is performed more with the arm and hand. Leading with the arm and hand still gives a signal, but it is usually not as clear as a body signal. It doesn’t give a clear indication of where the weight will transfer. Neither does it give the follow enough time to transfer weight. Leading with the body communicates a plan of movement that shows how the pattern of weight transfer can be completed while staying on rhythm.