Promenade position

In promenade position the couple opens out from the closed hold into a shallow V shape, both partners turned toward the same side so they can move along the floor together. It gives the dance somewhere to travel and sets up many of the more expansive figures, especially in the tango and quickstep.

The connection through the frame stays intact; only the fronts of the bodies open. From promenade a couple can walk, turn, or flow into the next figure and then close back into the standard hold. Learning to move smoothly in and out of promenade is one of the steps that makes a dance start to look continuous rather than a series of separate moves.