How to Hold Your Hands in Ballet

Do you know that the way you hold your hands is important in ballet dancing? A ballet dancer's hands and wrists should always be relaxed and natural. Your hands are an extension of your arms, so they should flow along softly and gracefully. Never flex your wrists, and always leave space between your fingers.

Here's how to achieve a proper hand position:

• Shake your hand out in front of you.
• Now that it is relaxed, let your hand go limp.
• Extend and elongate your index finger slightly, then do the same with your little finger.
• Pull in your thumb so that it is directly underneath your index finger.
• Make sure none of your fingers are straight or curled under. They should neither touch each other nor be spread far apart. You never want your hands to look stiff. Your goal is for your hands to appear as a natural extension of your arms, helping to extend the all-important long lines of ballet.

There are many variations of hand shapes of ballet dancers. The hands often play a huge role in portraying different characters in a ballet. Most importantly, the hands should appear natural.