HAND ELOCUTION

Hand elocution is defined as using the hands with clarity and intention. Becoming conscious of how we move and hold our hands, fingers and wrists has major benefits for us, whether we are older and concerned about our balance or whether we are dancers wanting to look and dance our best.
If the eyes are the window to the soul then the hands are how the soul touches heaven. There are 6 major energy centers in the body: the top of the head, the center of the pelvic floor, the center of the soles of both feet and the center of the palms of both hands. Hands are the channel through which healing takes place. Their dexterity is also what sets human beings apart from all other species. And the hands are often the first place that arthritis touches. If we improve how our hands function, we get a lot for our effort.

Fayard Nicholas (1914 - 2006)

This article is dedicated to Fayard Nicholas, the elder of the famed Nicholas Brothers, arguably the best dancers ever. Known for their style and grace, these amazing artists created movie dance feats never bested, even to this day. Sons of vaudeville orchestra musicians, they never attended a dance class yet achieved unheard of beauty through self teaching. Fayard often said he felt their "secret" spice came from how he insisted they used their hands. Always held gracefully and with full intention, their hands set the stage for their beautiful movement. 
This is a lesson everyone can learn from,
​whether you are a senior or an experienced dancer.

Improve how your fingers, wrists, hands move and you improve many things including your balance!

Proprioception: The hands and feet play a special role in how the brain navigates the body. They are the end destinations of the peripheral nervous system, the network of nerves that connects the central nervous system (the brain + the spinal cord) to the entire body. In particular, the nerve endings in the feet sense where they are in space, informing the brain through a process called proprioception. When those nerve endings are not working properly, as happens with neuropathy, our balance suffers. Improving how the hands operate and being more specific in how they express movement causes the entire proprioception sense to become more alert, in turn benefitting balance.
Brain function: An argument can be made that an improvement in proprioception in turn keeps the brain active and alert, a boon to efforts at reducing the risks of dementia.
Hand function can improve foot function: The hands can teach the feet and vice versa, just as one side of the body has the capability to teach the other side. Here is a fascinating study in how the body can learn when coupled with imagery: I once took a 2 hour workshop during which exercises were performed on only one side of the body. Then we were asked to imagine in great detail performing the exercise on the other side but not actually do it. At the end of the workshop we found that both sides learned equally! In a similar manner, if we imagine that our feet are becoming agile as we move our hands then we can actually improve how our feet function, without moving them!

Aging Hands

Arthritis in the hands: The finger joints are often the first joints of the body affected by arthritis. Of those, the joints closest to the fingernail are the most vulnerable. Our knuckles swell. The cartilage in the finger joints deteriorates and the fingers become misshapen. We loose strength in our hands as well as range of motion. You may think that this article isn't suitable for you because of this. In fact, this is exactly what we should be doing. The more we move our hands, especially the more specifically we train, the better they feel, move and operate. Movement is by far the best treatment for arthritis (even though it may not feel good).

An arthritis parable: There once was a monk who lived in a remote monastery. He spent all day long every day reading ancient manuscripts, turning each page with his little finger. He did nothing else but sit and read. When he got older he developed arthritis in every joint of his body except for ... his little finger.

Also, I think a change in attitude is appropriate here. Arthritic hands are not ugly! Aging hands are so much more expressive. They may feel stiff but they don't look stiff. They look beautiful and move elegantly. And we can enjoy that and appreciate ourselves for it.

How moving and holding the hands with intention affects dance:

Using Fayard Nicholas as an example, if the hands are held gracefully throughout the dance it gives the dance form and clear expression. The more specifically we can express with our hands, the more meaningful and effective. You see this to great effect with a number of different dance forms including flamenco, classical Indian and Thai dance. 

The reverse also has significance in a negative way. I have trained in different dance forms for close to 50 years, 20 of it in the field of modern dance, more specifically improvisation. One of the things I often noticed was a lack of definition in the dancer's hands. Dance improvisation performers were so intent on listening to their inner voice so as to be as much in the present as possible that the blood almost drained out of their hands. Dancers would often hold their hands expressionless and slack. That habit took away from the overall effect of their performances. When you are aware of your hands as you dance, it gives the entire expression definition that can be very powerful.
Using the hands with intention upgrades the dance itself.
It also improves the body's movement abilities.
It makes you a better dancer.

If it's good for a dancer then it is superb for someone older: Just as hand expression brings definition to the dance, it brings clarity and balance to those older. Being aware of your hands not only increases proprioceptive abilities but it connects you in a real way to the world around you. If you are conscious of your hands you are also conscious of your environment, a preeminent quality of reducing fall associated risk.

A Finger Story:

Every finger has a role to play, some more prominently than others:
  • Index finger and pinkie: Both play leading roles in the flamenco hand movement called a floreo. These are beautiful gestures useful to learn (see below). Extra energy in general in these two fingers pays off.
  • Middle finger: Hold the middle finger of each hand lower than the rest of the fingers. Keep it straight and in that relative position. Let it lead when circling the wrist.
  • The thumb: It goes along gracefully for the ride. Do not let it stick out. Think instead of it gently residing next to the side of the palm.
  • The fourth finger of each hand is the weakest: The third and fourth fingers often move together. Isolating the fourth is quite difficult but extremely valuable as an exercise. If you can improve the strength and agility of the fourth finger and move it in isolation you have made a significant contribution to your well being. (Really!)

Exercises to Practice: There are many finger dexterity exercises. The article on Aging Hands has a number of others. What follow here are some of my favorites:

Begin by stretching the wrists:
  • Pull the fingers of one hand back with your palm facing away to stretch the inside of the wrist.
  • For the opposite stretch, place one hand on top of the big knuckles of the other and gently press downward to stretch the top of the wrist. This stretch may feel odd because it is rarely taught.
Sequential Joint Bends: This is a wonderful technique for stretching the muscles and joints of the fingers. It is a very effective way to improve circulation, which in turn reduces the inflammation and pain of arthritis. The method is fully explained in Aging Hands.
Finger taps: Place both hands on the top of your thighs. Beginning with the thumbs, tap each finger 8 times. Do not let the other fingers move. This will become nearly impossible when you get to the fourth finger. Do everything you can to keep the other fingers from moving, even if you have to hold them down with your other hand.
Finger dexterity practicing the floreo: Place your palm facing up. Independently and sequentially bend each finger inward and keep it there, one at a time, starting with the little finger first. Keep practicing until the movement is smooth and each finger can move clearly in isolation. Variations:
  • Turn your palm down and instead of bending the little finger in, lift it up, followed in sequence by the others.
  • Combine the 2 motions: Palm up, little finger in and the others follow. Unfold with the palm down, lifting the little finger first.
  • Another combination: Palm up, little finger in and the others follow. Palm stays up, straighten the index finger first with the others following.
Published February 27, 2023