Fingers

[Isabella]

I’m often told my daughter should soften her fingers in ballet but I have no idea how to do this. She seems to hold her tension there. I’ve shown her other dancers, we’ve talked about it and in exercises she’s great but put her on the stage and her robot fingers reappear. Any tips??? Yet in other dances she can soften them. 

[Ruby Foo]

Can you tell me please approximate age of your daughter?

[Isabella]

She is 9. 

[Ruby Foo]

It sounds like your daughter tries very, very hard in her performances and, as a result, all that trying is coming out in tension in her hands. 
Have you noticed tension appearing in other upper parts such as her neck, shoulders and her face? Particularly her mouth? Has her teacher commented on these hands? Or has it been noticed in exam reports? The reason I am asking is because in different parts of the world, ballet hands do appear slightly differently. French and Russian styles do have a slightly different approach to hands than that in the U.K. So what might appear slightly different for us in UK, would be acceptable in other parts of the world.

Is it possible that her hands might show tension all the time, even in class work, it's just not so easy to spot because class work is more formulaic? Could your daughter be hyperextended? Often it's really tricky to control hypertension and the weight of the body is often in the wrong place leading to the student to cling on and take tension in the wrong places.

Often, when you tell young students to pull up, grow very tall, try very hard etc, you get an adverse reaction in that they suck themselves up so much that all the tension rises into the upper body and they pull peculiar faces, shoulders go up and the arms and hands become very stiff and taught. Many young students are trying to identify with the fantasy of being this beautiful ballet dancer rather than an understanding of breath and freedom of movement without forcing or it being an effort, which is obviously preferable. I would ask her teacher if there's an issue and if there is, maybe keep her dances simple so she can fully focus on breathing through movements and an understanding of how those arms and hands are a sensitive vessel for the positive energy within oneself. The tension needs to focused in the core muscles which support and stabilise the dancer, leaving the upper body free and completely at ease. So, to correct this unwanted tension, we are looking internally, to the central core, rather than simply fixing the hands, which would lead to the hands being statically pretty but not really being the living, guiding energy which propels the dancer through space and into lines which extend forever.... out through the studio walls and beyond. So the arms and hands are the vessel of expression which starts at the core and extends and extends, constantly flowing and moving, even when completely still.

I always find analogies with arms/ hands and water very helpful. You can try simple movements like figure of eight with the arms in front of the body. What would it feel like to move these arms through the resistance of water? How would these arms and hands be if they were passive seaweed being rocked by the waves? With her hands by her side, ask her to lift her arms up out of the water, elbows picked up first, back of hands on top, letting the water droplets  run off the backs of the hands and down the fingers. Make the fingers shapely. You can do this by holding the hand softly downwards ( curved with water droplets running off) and placing a straw under the index finger, over the long 2nd finger, under the 3rd and over 4th. The hand is curved and softly drooping but still breathing energy. Also the comparisons to breathing and the feeling of cool air grazing the arms and hands as they sensitively lead the dancer through  space.

Hope this helps. Sorry it's so long!  It's hard to know, without seeing your daughter dancing.

Its great that you've noticed though because tension in the upper body can be very hard to get rid of once it becomes habitual. 

[Ruby Foo]

Just thinking,  you could actually take her to a pool and see if doing some of her dances in the water might be a fun way to stimulate some sensitivity in her hands and fingers.

[rowan]

What a brilliant post, Valentina.

[Isabella]

Wow what a reply! This is incredible Valentina!!! I’m really touched that you’ve spent so much time thinking this through for my daughter and I’m sure it will help other children and adults on this forum

who might have struggled with the same problem. I love the analogy of water. I will definitely try this. Thank you so much. X

Edited March 12, 2022 by Isabella
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[Isabella]

In terms of tension in other parts, no, people often comment on her beautiful posture and long neck. It’s solely her fingers. It was picked up several times by adjudicators and her teacher. 

[Anna C]

1 hour ago, Isabella said:

In terms of tension in other parts, no, people often comment on her beautiful posture and long neck. It’s solely her fingers. It was picked up several times by adjudicators and her teacher. 

 

She’s very young, Isabella; try not to worry too much at this stage - valentina’s excellent advice should help.