Thread: good arm & hand exercises for students?

Hi all, do you have arm & hand exercises that you do with your students that you would like to share? Im always on the hunt for ways to improve arms, posture, fluidity, decrease the claw effect, etc.

This I got from Aziza...

with strong hands, palm down, you contract the palm so it sort of cups and lifts the first set of knuckles (the ones on your hand rather than then fingers), then you lift the second set of knuckles, then you pull the first knuckles back down and straighten the hand out. We do it on a count of four. The hands have to be very strong, they may even shake. At no point should students let the fingers curl under

I make them do it with hands under chin (elbows out to side) both hands in front, palms down (straight arms) palms up, then arms out to side palms up and then down. For a loooooonnnnng time. They HATE me for it

I'm definitely noticing improvement in their hands though. It strengthens their arms (kills their arms more like) too. ..g.:

my first teacher taught me to pretend I had a rubber band joining my thumb and middle finger, like playing zills. I can still remember the muscle pain training to tuck my thumb in, now its automatic. we would practice with hand rotations and hand undulations.
I drilled my own students with 4 counts each snake arms and classical arms while doing 1/4 turns on each 1st count. first 16cts warm up. second 16cts focus on shoulders, third lot 16cts focus on hand posture, then I might change the height and level of movement.
veils are a good way too to build upper arm strength and fluidity.

I worked with a student for her first solo presentation who had the claw thing going on. I had her dance letting the hands just drop, relaxed while dancing just to get her to feel how much tension she may be keeping in their hands. (she is a teacher for the deaf so she does use her hand more than most!) Then have them put a little energy back in the hnds and the claw should be gone.
I do start every class with arm movement series. I like to have students choose sometimes, during a combination, what arms to use. this tends to get them thinking about what to do with arms on their own.

I find the arm sequence that Aziza does on her practice companion very helpful. I think it's very ballet influenced, but it emphasises arm placement and relaxation of the hands at the same time.

I think my teacher gave the best instructions for arms and hands.

Imagine a cup of frosting tipped over on it side (favorite flavor of course) and push your hand inside; bottom of wrist first, while extending your arm and than scoop the frosting in a circular motion with your middle and ring finger.Slowly bring your hand back towards your face as if you were to lick the icing and take your hand straight up above your head doing the same motion. Wrist first, extending arm and scooping with your middle and ring finger.

I have to say that I personally think my hands and arms are my most graceful part of dancing.

Originally Posted by sunshine

This I got from Aziza...

with strong hands, palm down, you contract the palm so it sort of cups and lifts the first set of knuckles (the ones on your hand rather than then fingers), then you lift the second set of knuckles, then you pull the first knuckles back down and straighten the hand out. We do it on a count of four. The hands have to be very strong, they may even shake. At no point should students let the fingers curl under

I make them do it with hands under chin (elbows out to side) both hands in front, palms down (straight arms) palms up, then arms out to side palms up and then down. For a loooooonnnnng time. They HATE me for it

I'm definitely noticing improvement in their hands though. It strengthens their arms (kills their arms more like) too. ..g.:

Yes, thanks for making us do that, it really does work the hands though. I even practice while I'm at home, even in the car, like Sunshine said to me she does,(ONLY while I've stopped at lights). There's nothing else better to do...l;,

lol, thanks everyone!

Those are some great tips!

I actually have my students sit on the floor and we just "dance" with our arms to some pretty and relaxing taqsim music I have. I've really found that when they stop thinking about their hips and just focus on breathing and channeling all their "dancing" through their arms, they can think more about extension, shoulder relaxation, hand position and fluidity and that this exercise helps them think about things more when we're drilling hips/chest/footwork. I borrowed the idea from Zaina Hart, and so far, all my students (beginning and up) have loved it and found it to be a really relaxing and beneficial exercise.

Miriam I like to do something similar at home as a form of relaxation. I put on some slow music sit in a meditative position, feet pulled in one in front of the other, not xed, and sway and extend my upper body and arms and stretch right out and down, breathing and working my chest circles and fig. 8's.