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Show THEORY OF THEATRICAL DANCING. 69 and by this movement the hand will be found in the first position for the arms. The elbow, as well as the wrist, has its movement downwards and upwards, with this difference, that when you bend the elbows, the wrists are bent also, which prevents the arms from appearing stiff, imparting to them much grace. Still it is not necessary to bend the wrist much, as it would produce an extravagant effect; the same thing may be observed of the legs when the knee is bent; it is then the instep that completes the movement, by raising the foot, in the same manner as the wrist and elbow. Thus, in order to move them downwards, the arms being prepared, the elbow and wrist must be bent, and when the arms are bent also, extend them, to complete the movement. They will then return to the first position in which they were. W h e n you perform a movement with the wrists, they should be bent and straightened in the same manner as when accompanied by the movement of the elbows. As to the second movement, which is upwards, the hands being down, the wrists and elbows must be bent, forming a circle, observing that both arms form at the same time a motion exactly similar ; and then return to their first attitude. A dancer that holds and moves his arms in a graceful manner, and according to the true rules of art, shows that he has studied at a good school, and his performance is invariably correct. Few artists distinguish themselves by a good style of action in their arms, which deficiency generally proceeds either from the mediocrity of principles they receive from bad instructions, or else it originates in their own negligence, believing, as I have known many do, that if they possess a brilliant mode of execution in their legs, they can do very well without the fine addi- |