In partner dancing, closed position is a category of positions in which partners hold each other while facing at least approximately toward each other.
Closed positions employ either body contact or body support, that is, holding each other is not limited to handhold. If the partners are comfortable with each other and the dance style allows it, body contact increases the connection between the partners. Some dances, such as Balboa and Collegiate Shag are only done in body contact.
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The waltz (from German Walzer [ˈvaltsɐ] , meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, in triple (
4 ) time, performed primarily in closed position. Along with the ländler and allemande, the waltz was sometimes referred to by the generic term German Dance in publications during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
The Lindy Hop is an American dance which was born in the African-American communities of Harlem, New York City, in 1928 and has evolved since then. It was very popular during the swing era of the late 1930s and early 1940s. Lindy is a fusion of many dances that preceded it or were popular during its development but is mainly based on jazz, tap, breakaway, and Charleston. It is frequently described as a jazz dance and is a member of the swing dance family.
In its development, the Lindy Hop combined elements of both partnered and solo dancing by using the movements and improvisation of African-American dances along with the formal eight-count structure of European partner dances – most clearly illustrated in the Lindy's defining move, the swingout. In this step's open position, each dancer is generally connected hand-to-hand; in its closed position, leads and follows are connected as though in an embrace on one side and holding hands on the other.
The Balboa, also known as "Bal", is a swing dance that emerged in Southern California during the early 1930s as a response to swing music. The earliest recorded reference to Balboa is 1932. This date coincides with what is generally accepted to be the beginning of swing. The dance enjoyed huge popularity in California during the 1930s and 1940s, and was still being danced by original dancers into the 21st century.
Balboa is a dance that distinctively relies on closed position. The earliest form of the dance emerged in the high schools and dance venues of southern California. Spaces were often limited, the floor was waxed and there was traditionally a line of dance around the room. Balboa is danced into the floor and drifts without a prescribed line of dance. Although it is not clear when, strict codes of conduct could be enforced in some venues with signs stating 'no breaks'. These dance halls were usually addressing wild kicks of other dances, specifically So Cal Swing, or simply unruly dancers. Ballrooms famous as Balboa venues displayed 'no-break' signs, with bouncers monitoring the dancers.
In partner dancing, an open position is a position in which partners are connected primarily at the hands. The connection is through the hands, wrists, and fingers, and relies heavily on frame and the compression and tension of both partners' arms. This is as opposed to a closed position, where partners are in closer body contact.
Many forms of dancing use the open position. Modern Jive, East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, and Latin are primary examples, but an open position is used in waltz, country, and other styles at times.