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Show THEORY OF THEATRICAL DANCING. 71 to all your attitudes a grotesque and caricature-like appearance, make you only an object of ridicule to the painter. Let the Saigne"eu be level with the palm of your hand, your shoulders low, and always motionless, your elbows round and well supported, and your fingers gracefully grouped together. The position and carriage of your arms must be soft and easy. Let them make no extravagant movement, nor permit the least stiffness to creep into their motions. Beware lest they be jerked by the action and reaction of your legs : this is a great fault, and sufficient to degrade a dancer, what perfection soever he may possess in the exercise of his legs. Simple position of the arms, fig. 1, plate I. Position of the wrist and fingers, fig. 1, plate I. Arms in the second position, fig. 1, plate I. Arms in the opposition, fig. 4, plate I. Arms encircling above the head, fig. 5, plate I. Half-arm, or demi-bras, fig. 2, plate II. Oppositions of the demi-bras, fig. 3, plate I. Position of the arms in various attitudes, plates V, VI, VII, VIII, and IX. Position of the arms in arabesques, plates X , XI, and XII. N.B. It must be observed that in arabesques the position of the arms deviates from the general rule ; it is, therefore, the good taste of the dancer that must arrange them as gracefully as possible. Position of the hand in different attitudes and arabesques, fig. 5, plate V. Defective positions of the arms, fig. 1, 2, 3, plate III. |