In Ballet you’ll be moving your arms a lot – like a LOT A LOT.
And it’s not only about executing the movements so that they look technically “correct.”
It’s about using your arm and hand gestures to tell a story.
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When learning new arm movements, you’ll want to start with a Preparatory position – basically, it’s how you start and finish each move.
The preparation involves placing your arms in a circular shape with your fingers facing the floor, slightly in front of your thighs. Make sure to have a nice bend to your elbow.
Practice Tips:
Bring your arms up from your prep position as if you're holding a beach ball in front of you.
Practice Tips:
With your arms still in that half circle position, bring them out to the side while making sure that your elbows don’t go any further back than your shoulders.
This is your 2nd position.
Practice Tips:
From 2nd, reach both arms above your head and voila – you're in 5th position.
Imagine yourself in a nice circular picture frame, elbows out to the side. Now, have an imaginary beach ball over your head, instead of in front of you.
Practice Tips:
Your 3rd position is a combination of one arm being in the 1st position and the other arm in the 2nd position.
Practice 3rd position so you can gain muscle memory as it is often used in center Tendus, Variations, and Pirouettes.
Don’t forget to switch arms while practicing.
Practice Tip:
Having one arm in 3rd position and the other up in 5th position is called the 4th position.
Make sure you practice both arms by switching them up.
Practice Tip:
So you may have heard the saying “soft arms, soft hands”, like they should have this magical wind carrying them through the performance.
Now, the following exercise may not be magic, but it is a great way to practice what is called Allongé (meaning “to extend”) – a hand position that creates that soft, extended effect.
Next time you hit the shower, stand under the water with your arm lifted and your hand positioned down.
Just let the water drip down on your hand. Position your hand so you have streams of water running from every finger. Practice this with both hands.
You don’t want your thumb out like you're about to high five someone.
Instead, tuck your thumb underneath your hand. Your middle finger must slightly reach down towards your thumb and your pointer and ring finger slightly lifted. Your pinky finger should be the highest one.
Let’s not forget about that wrist! For best results, keep your wrist lifted as it is an extension of your arm, going in the direction you are reaching towards.
Practice Tips:
An Arabesque is a move in which you’ll stand on one leg, while the other one is lifted. When in Arabesque, you want to place your arms in 3rd position, but extend to the front with a slight bend in your elbow.
As you extend your arm, try to gaze beyond that extension. This is also a good moment to examine if your fingers look nice and airy.
Practice Tip:
To practice at home, you can do each of the arm positions going all the way from Preparation to 5th position, adding Arabesque and making sure you Allongé in between. You can practice both right and left side at a slower pace first, until it becomes second nature to you.
And as always, use a mirror to help spot where you need adjustment.
Relax and have fun!
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