How to Keep from "Popping the Clutch"
Remember the days when you first learned how to drive a manual transmission
automobile? If you were like me, it probably took you a long time to be able to
start the car smoothly. But eventually we all learned how to ease in to gear by
letting out the clutch gradually.
The beginning of a dance poses a similar problem. Many men don't give their
partner any clues that they are about to begin, and by the time they actually
start moving their partner feels a sudden jerk. Dancers call this "popping
the clutch".
To prevent such bad starts, become familiar with the principle of leaning. A
lean prevents you from "popping the clutch" and getting off to a rough
start. By preceding all movement with a lean, you decrease the potential for
false anticipation by your partner and build her confidence in your ability to
lead. Ladies, by tapping into the man’s lean, you will be able to correctly
anticipate the direction he wishes to go. The amount of lean directly
corresponds to how large or how small the step will be. If the man leans a lot,
get ready to take a big step. If it’s a small amount of lean, take a shorter
step. Pretty simple!
Thanks to http://www.dancetv.com