Back to the Barre Series 

The Power of Port de Bras 

For many years, I have been telling students that there are three fundamental areas in dance that, when strengthened, can make them strong technical dancers: the use of the plié, the ability to engage the leg and foot during a tendu, and, finally, the aspect that tends to elude so many dancers—the ability to use one's port de bras effectively. The concept of utilizing the entire body when training young dancers can sometimes be the most difficult to develop. Understanding how to lift through the spine and extend the arms from the back is often the final piece that a dancer connects with. 

Not only is the use of the spine crucial, but so is the ability to understand how the elbows, wrists, and fingers move sequentially to create a fluid effect. Maintaining a long neck to keep the shoulders away from the ears, as well as keeping the chin slightly lifted to create an elongated presentation of the upper body, are also essential components. As in prior articles where we break down different aspects of an element, port de bras will be no different. It can be analyzed in three key areas: the spine, the neck, and the arms. 

Spine 

Training the spine and achieving proper alignment is one of the first fundamental aspects I address when working with dancers privately. If we can establish the concept of a neutral spine, then we are off to a good start. With younger dancers, I use the term “ribs and hips” to describe how the bottom of the rib cage pulls downward toward the hip bones, while the hip bones lift upward into the ribs. I truly believe that if this is reinforced consistently in early training, a simple cue of “pelvis” will later help dancers engage their core and ribs for a neutral spine. 

We cannot discuss the spine without also addressing the muscles of the back. The latissimus dorsi, which are responsible for pulling the area around the ribcage downward, play a crucial role. I find it more effective to instruct students to focus on engaging their ribcage to bring their shoulders down rather than simply saying “shoulders down.” The latter cue can lead to shallow engagement, preventing full awareness of where the arms should extend from. Additionally, the trapezius muscle should be activated due to its engagement through the neck and down into the middle of the spine. 

Neck 

When addressing the neck, dancers should focus on the throat muscles in the front rather than those in the back. The omohyoid and sternohyoid muscles, which lie at the front of the throat, play a crucial role in lifting the chin away from the chest during presentation. Dancers who tend to pull their chins downward disengage these muscles, which can hinder the overall lift and

extension of the upper body. Awareness of these muscles helps create a poised and elegant port de bras. 

Arms 

The final piece of the puzzle is the arms. With a stacked, neutral spine and engaged back muscles, dancers can properly extend through their arms. However, it is not enough to simply instruct dancers to use their arms; we must break it down further. The arms can be separated into three key components: 

Elbows: For younger dancers, I like to use the term “happy elbows,” encouraging them to bring their elbows forward. This also lays the foundation for developing the ability to use the arms from the back. 

Wrists: The ability to isolate wrist movement is often overlooked. Encouraging dancers to explore the mobility of the wrists through rolling, folding, and extending can help them develop a more expressive port de bras. 

Fingers: When describing finger positioning, I use the visualization of extending the fingers as if reaching out to someone without presenting the knuckles. Fingers should maintain a slight separation, avoiding the extremes of being either tightly pressed together or spread too far apart. 

Final Thoughts 

As we conclude this third and final aspect of the series, we are reminded that, in a simplistic sense, dancers spend a significant amount of time bending their knees, using their arms, and engaging their feet. Despite being such general principles, mastering these foundational aspects is essential to excelling in this codified art form. For additional assistance, a link will be provided to exercises that can help improve a dancer's port de bras.

By: Krysten Danielle