Thread: Soft, Strong Arms

Okay, I need some help with arms! I think I generally create nice shapes with my arms, and am VERY conscious of them. What I'm struggling with at the moment, is making them look soft, whilst strong and supported. I think my arms look too angular - bony elbows and all.

So...any tips? Does anyone know any exercises for achieving the soft yet strong look? Or is it just trial and error in front of the mirror? ,r:; Or should I just get really puffy sleeves??

Trial and error in front of the mirror.

If your elbows are particularly bony, you probably want to extend your arms more, so they create a long soft curve rather than an angle. Not straight, obviously, but close to it. Where you actually position the elbow can have a bit to do with it too. If you turn the elbow away (ie round to the back) you get less point, more curve. You might want to experiment with how wide you hold your arms - some positions will look expansive and soft and curvy while others will look more angular. Changing your wrist angle (turning it in, or out) can also help.

It's a suck it and see situation, really.

Some good tips! Thanks zumarrad. I haven't tried the wrist angle, I'll give that a shot, and I'll definitely remember to keep my arms extended - but they look (to me) to be so long and lanky!! Not graceful at all...

*goes back to mirror*

I remember how much it helped me when my teacher told me to think of energy flowing from the core of the body right out of the fingertips. You still want soft, flowing arms, but holding and moving them with energy and purpose, rather than let them fly around. This image really helps me with snake arms - strong, not flailing around like a drowning octopus!

When I've got my arms held out to the sides, I also like to think of them floating on water, while my hips move under the water (such as doing a figure 8 with arms held out to sides). I can visualise my wrists and elbows floating with gentle waves, but without the arms dipping below the waterline.

I just had a private with Princess Farhana yesterday to work on arms. I like the way she has students turn their elbows to the back of the room ("like you're holding a giant laundry basket") to keep them from pointing down, and then keep your wrists totally soft while your hands have some tension (working through the 'wave' - middle fingers to thumb roll & flex). This style only looks good on some dancers, but it's done wonders for my hands and arms...g.:

Oh yeah, and it helps to focus on having your arm movements always come from the upper back rather than just the arms, especially if you have any crunching-shoulder issues.

There are so many different arm techniques. If you ask 10 dancers you'll get 10 different answers. You just have to practice and see what looks best on you.
My instructor teaches us never to lift from the elbows, (unless you're doing Tribal) but rather from the upper arm, the area that runs from the underarm to the elbow, that's where the lift should come from, you can feel it in your biceps. She also teaches not to consistently hold the arms out to either side but to keep them close to the body and forward of the body, slightly bent at the elbows, wrists soft and DON'T lower the middle finger of your hand, as in ballet. That's naughty in arabic.
Also, reference the arms when they are at breast level, she tells us never to go from a lowered arm position to an above the head position without referencing both arms at breast level, and THEN raising them above the head.
I think one of the softest and most graceful arms technique clips I've seen is this one of Mark :
[ame]http://youtube.com/watch?v=JhBLqCBmA7U[/ame]

But then, I'm partial. We've had the same teacher. hehe

Edited to Add: Aaaaak! How did that happen? I just posted a link to the YouTube clip and the entire screen appeared on Bhuz?? What'd I do?

Regards
Priscilla

The embedded video is the new automatic feature.

Do you have access to a swimming pool? If so, get into neck-deep water, or kneel until you're neck deep. Then practice assorted arm moves with your arms under water. This will help you develop a sensation for what kind of work your muscles need to do to be strong enough to move through water, but still soft. After doing this a while, try practicing the same arm moves out of the water, aiming for the same muscle sensations.

Thanks for all the suggestions! I knew Bhuz would come through ! I'll have to postpone the underwater exercises until my next trip to the beach, but other than that I do have a lot to work with.
Keeping my elbows turned to the back looks better - I've only been doing that in some movements, but if I make it the rule rather than the exception I think it will be quite effective. Just have to build up the strength - that seems to use different muscles than what I've been doing,f::

The visualisations are wonderful suggestions, I'll definitely be using those.
Thanks everyone!

Wow - that clip was lovely! He's a great dancer, with gorgeous arms. Thanks for posting, Jessedan!

I don't have much to add, except that elbows to the back of the room is usually the key. At first your upper back muscles will probably get tired from maintaining the position, but the muscles will build pretty quickly if you drill in that position daily.

If you don't have any joint issues, you can speed the progress by holding dumbbells or canned good in your hands while you hold that position. Just be sure to also keep your chest lifted & forward, it's easy to round the shoulders & cave the chest when you're working those upper back muscles.

Another technique I've just discovered that I love is air veil. When you're improv-ing, let your arms flow as if you're dancing with an invisible silk veil.

I was thinking of going out and buying some wrist weights - but canned goods will do instead! Thanks for that idea, Lauren! Invisible silk veil sounds good, too...until I can afford an Akai!

Thanks for the Post Natalie. I have been working thru the same issue for 2 years. I think i'm doing well with my arms but when i see them on video or in pictures i have ben chicken wing arms as my teacher says. so i'm drilling with pretty arms and working in the mirror. I work at a contemporary dance production company and one of the teachers there said he would work with me on arms. he suggested the same thing. lifting from the upper back and feeling the energy all the way thru. i like that and i'll definitely turn the elbows back now.

summer