It is very common for dancers to concentrate on their legs and feet and forget the importance of their port de bras. Many times, when I have judged competitions or seen dancers in performance I have been impressed by their footwork and leg extensions, but disappointed in the lack of upper body movement and strong use of their arms. The main problems that occur are lack of release and rotation of the upper body, especially in the chest area, and weak use of the arms with a lack of shape to the movement. It is important for young dancers to understand that dance encompasses the entire body and is not complete unless every part is working together. There are a number of mental and physical exercises that I have found helpful in teaching dancers to become more aware of this area of their training.
Resistance Training.
First and foremost the concentration needs to be on strengthening the arms and chest area. Investing in resistance bands of a medium weight is a great idea. Using these bands is a safe way to increase strength in the biceps, triceps and deltoids and, if worked correctly, will help in protecting the rotator cuff. Here are the exercises that I have found to be most beneficial:
Biceps Curls
Take the resistance band in both hands and step on it with both feet. Bend knees slightly to help stabilize the core and prevent swaying of the lower back. The wider the foot position, the stronger the resistance will be. Hold the band with palms facing the body, elbows held tightly against the body. Lift hands towards the chest with a slow, deliberate movement. Lower the hands without fully stretching the elbows. It is important to keep the elbows slightly bent. Do 10 repetitions at a time and make sure to stretch the arms in between sets. I would recommend starting with 2 sets.
Triceps Eextension
Take the resistance band in both hands as in the previous exercise and stand on it with both feet, knees slightly bent, making sure not to hyperextend the lower back. Hold the band with palms facing the body. Place elbows by ears. Slowly stretch hands away from the head without fully stretching elbows. Repeat 10 times. Stretch out arms in between sets. Start with 2 sets.
Lateral Raises
Hold the band with both hands, palms facing the body, and stand on the band with both feet, legs slightly bent. Keeping elbows slightly bent, hands held close to the thighs, slowly lift arms away from the legs, keeping elbows bent and making sure that the chest is open and the shoulders are pressed down; return to starting position. Repeat 10 times. Stretch out arms in between sets. Start with 2 sets.
These exercises could be incorporated into any class. The dancers will enjoy using the bands and the challenge of working the muscles. Most importantly they will be thrilled when they start to see the improvement in their port de bras.
Eagle Imagery.
Understanding that port de bras needs to come from the center of the back is not easy to convey. I always use the imagery of the wing span of a bird reaching from the tips of the fingers to the center of the back. With younger dancers having them fly around the room as birds using their wings is a simple way to help them feel the long extension of their arms. Why not try it with older dancers, too? I tell my dancers to imagine they are eagles and to find movement where they can spread their wings. It is something improvisational for them to concentrate on and it will bring levity to the problem of port de bras, yet also help them actually focus on using their arms correctly. Rhomboid Strengthening. Often a lack of strength in the rhomboids located by the shoulder blades forces dancers to collapse their shoulders forward and this causes the arms to work only from the shoulders and not the back. This makes the port de bras look stiff and short, instead of relaxed and open.
One of the best exercises that I use is to have the dancers take the arms to second position with the hands flexed. From there they contract one arm into the center of the back without raising the shoulders. Then repeat with the other side and follow this by contracting both arms together. This Jazz isolation exercise was used by Jack Cole and passed down to Matt Mattox, both masters of strong port de bras. It is a pretty intensive exercise especially if the dancer is weak in this area, but is very effective if used 3 times a week regularly. Make sure to stretch the upper back after completing this exercise.
Chest And Back Strengthening
Strong port de bras needs an open chest line in order to function correctly. This is an exercise that promotes strength and flexibility in the chest area and upper back. Lie on stomach on the floor. Hands are placed directly under the shoulders, legs together and straight. Leading with the head, push up on hands until arms are straight, making sure to keep shoulders pressed down and hips on the floor. Hold for 4 counts. Lower using resistance to a flat position. Hold for 4 counts. Repeat 3 more times. Stretch out the back by shifting buttocks back to the heels and chest to the knees. To make this exercise more advanced have the dancers take their hands off the floor once they have pushed up into the arch and stretch their arms to second position. For the last repetition, have them grab the ankles and rock forward and back, hold in the highest arched position and then let go, taking the arms to second position and maintaining the arch and finally, slowly and with resistance, lower to the floor and then stretch the back out.
Last but not least is the importance of making shapes when using port de bras. Using rotation of the upper body will help to improve the beauty of dancers port de bras. Next month I will address this with an article on how to use imagery and apparatus to improve the shape of port de bras.
