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Against the Teapot Hold in Contra Dancing

emmaazelborn.com · 812 words · saved by 1 readers

The teapot hold is the most dangerous common contra dancing figure, so I’ve been avoiding it. The teapot hold, sometimes called a "courtesy turn hold,” requires one dancer to connect with their hand behind their back. When I realized I could avoid putting my shoulder into this vulnerable position, my contra dancing felt safer. In New England, where I dance most often, the teapot hold is used both for the courtesy turn, where the couple rotates to face the opposite direction, and also the promenade, where the couple walks forward. Elsewhere, promenade might default to skater’s or butterfly[1]. There’s no way to guarantee you won’t get injured while social dancing, but you can usually minimize the risk. However, the teapot hold prevents you from protecting yourself, because placing your hand behind your back twists your shoulder out of its stable position in its socket. This puts your shoulder in a vulnerable position, mostly supported by connective tissue rather than muscle, and therefo

Against the Teapot Hold in Contra Dancing Emma Azelborn « All Writing Against the Teapot Hold in Contra Dancing August 25, 2025 The teapot hold is the most dangerous common contra dancing figure, so I’ve been avoiding it. The teapot hold, sometimes called a “courtesy turn hold,” requires one dancer to connect with their hand behind their back. When I realized I could avoid putting my shoulder into this vulnerable position, my contra dancing felt safer. In New England, where I dance most often, the teapot hold is used both for the courtesy turn, where the couple rotates to face the opposite dir

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