Here is an oil painting for sale on Ebay of ballroom dancing scene of early 1900. ( I don't own this painting, BTW and I am not related to the seller ).

Please take a look on the ebay.com item # 424633579,( go to ebay and type in search for item # ) where the men's right hand were holding ladies left hand while placing their left hand behind the ladies' back. I wonder if the oil painting was done wrong or did they danced that way in those days? I had tried to put the link here but unable to do so.

Regards,

Keh Gough

I teach dancing, and the business card clip art that the printer gave me of the dancing couple has her leading. I think it's very funny, and left it that way on purpose hee hee.
laf

Well, without offending the ladies.. If I had a partner like Barbie, I would not remember which hand goes where either..

And I would bear a sword too, to ward off the others from asking her..

Just kidding.
Sri.

Or perhaps the artist didn't know which hand went where. And simply painted an imagined position. Actually I have the Ballroom Dancer version of Barbie. Yup, Barbie, she is in a smooth gown and she and Ken ride on a remote controlled thingy that spins and circles. On the box is a picture of her and Ken in a backwards dance position. I guess Mattell didn't do theier homework either.

There seem to be a number of such paintings & prints depicting dance position as if reversed - I've seen two adorning 2 different sudios.

>I can only think of one reason why they wore their swords to a dance. They must have wanted to look 'sharp' when they were dancing.<

I can think of another - maybe competition at socials for the best partners & the habit of monopolizing them was as bad as it is today...? En guarde!

I have seen this aforementioned painting, or a facsimile thereof. The positions are reversed indeed (or perhaps painted by a left handed painter, or one looking at himself in a mirror.. ), and it is definitely a mistake. Interestingly, very few dancers notice it (including me, when I first saw the painting), even when they are asked to locate the error in the painting.

On an off-shoot.. To better understand the evolution of dance position, one must check out this website. It discusses, and offers evidence of, the origin of the dance positions and styles.
http://linus.socs.uts.edu.au/~don/pubs/modern.html

My understanding is that the lady's left hand took the gentleman's hand in an offer to dance, but her right hand often held up her flowing evening gown (worn in the middle ages) for obvious purposes. Why she stayed to his right is speculative, but it may have had to do with the wearing of scabbard and sword by most gentlemen (predominantly right handed ones) on their left.

I can only think of one reason why they wore their swords to a dance. They must have wanted to look 'sharp' when they were dancing..

But back to the painting. It sure would be an interesting addition to somebody's wall. Let the bidding begin...

Sri.

More likely the photograph of the painting was reversed. Every once in a while someone will print the negative from the wrong side, creating a mirror image effect. To the best of my knowledge, dance position has always been joined hands on man's left side.

Regards,
Jonathan Atkinson