[Gadget]

Recently (since the change) the lean bit has been noted that the hand hold should be changed so that thumbs point down; this is seemingly to avoid the ladies fingernail grip.
{* this is from Lisa (& poss Lorna?) so I don't know if it's an individual thing or a global change}

Personally, 90% of my lead is through contact with the tips of the fingers to the last joint of the fingers; the "fingernail grip" is only evident if ladies insist on taking the grip to the second joint and 'hooking' on.

It's like the "lean" bit - I saw someone (Bill I think) doing a straight lean (one foot infront of the other, the back one and body forming a line with weight leaning over the front one) instead of the standard lean (feet shoulder width appart and leaning forward) and started doing it this way myself. Since Lisa has been teaching, it's become a standard variation taught from the stage by both Lorna and Lisa. I prefer the first one because I can look as if I am leaning, but most of the weight is on my front foot and I am not relying on my partner stopping me falling on my face.