Leader's Underarm Turn

Any figure where the leader turns under the joined hands while the follower dances essentially normal pass footwork — the mirror image of the follower's underarm turn, and a first taste of leaders dancing their own spins.

Two taught versions

Rising Tide teaches a matched pair off basic passes: a left turn off the left side pass — leave the left side open on 3&4 to store torque, keep the elbow high, and place the follower's hand around your waist on 5 — and a right turn where the leader starts rotating on 4 and passes the hand behind their own back in a self-hammerlock, keeping the chest and shoulders open rather than hunching into the change.¹

EastonSwing's version takes the joined hand over the leader's own head: raise it slightly higher than a normal underarm pass, prep on 5, and turn about three-quarters on the "and" count — then release so the follower traces lightly down your arm to the fingertips and the connection is already rebuilt.²

Common notes

• Followers: your job is patience. When the leader turns instead of you, the post stops moving — anchor where you are rather than driving down the slot, and roll through the body into count 1 so the connection is there when the leader finishes.³