O. FIST. 1.0.Ft., O. Ft. or Ft. Willful, or forcible, form; appeals with a will; e. g. Were they to do it, we ought to use force with them.

1. C. or C.

CLOSING GESTURES.

C. FINGER.

C. FIST.

Emotional, sympathetic form; closes out appeal or debate with a self-assertive, dictative disregard of opposition. Descriptively, it represents the manner of closing or limiting; e. g. C. They should be banished; i.e. I think, irrespective of your opinion, that they should be pushed off, as I push my hand from me. h. C.

h. O. Ft. threatens Closes the mind to influwith force ences from above, to be greater guarded against; or refers than one's to any conceived of as, in own. Mov- themselves, overwhelming ing up or or irresistible; i. e. to down, it de- storms, avalanches, fate, scribes forc- laws of universe, God as a ible pushing force. Descriptively, it deup or tear- lineates outlines of objects ing down. above one. Used in the It is often benediction, it imparts conused thus. straining grace.

w.O.Ft. w. C. at breast level; or shak- 1. w. C. at hip level; f. en. Shaken C., bk. C., etc. Ending at some per- like a simple C. gesture, it son or thing shuts off appeal, repressing in the act or repelling those about. of threaten- With the hand moving ing. Some- outward, it expresses oppotimes is used sition, aversion, rejection, descriptive- disdain, and refers to foes; ly to repre- moving inward, or held in sent what is front of breast, it wards or clasped or protects self, shows selfheld, either consideration or self-asserin enmity or tion. Descriptively, it is the friendship, most appropriate gesture in pain or in by which to delineate outpleasure, in lines of any kind, but refers resolute de- especially to anything imtermination peded in itself, or appearing or weakness. threatening or lowering.

Just here is

the limit.

h. C. F. or
h. F.

could

tear it to tatters.

h. C. Ft.

The usual refers to, or high F. ges- describes, ture by which something one points to above, forcspecific ob- ibly held; jects describ- or, if an obed; or refers stacle, torn to influences down, reprethat can con- sented by trol or may the downinjure one. ward moveThe warning ment of the gesture. hands.

C. F. or F. w. C. Ft. at s., on br., Mainly used etc. The or- in referring dinary finger to, or degesture, by us- scribing, ing which, in anything reference or forcibly description, a held or reman points to moved; e.g. surrounding in telling of objects or to the reins of himself. Held a supposed up and out span in front, and horses when shaken, playfully warns. Pointing to the breast refers to obligation, heart, love, soul, etc.

of

describing a ride; or the rending of

a curtain

which one

is supposed to tear.

Preparatory Movements. 176. Perpendicular, i. e. straight up and down.

Starting with hand in normal position when dropped at side, do following things successively: Bend fingers toward palm; turn palm toward audience; bend wrist toward elbow; bend elbow toward shoulder; lift arm from shoulder and return it to where the elbow will be in position for the end of the gesture; bend elbow to bring forearm into position for the stroke of the gesture; then bend down wrist, at same time throwing out thumb and fingers. In this way the backs of fingers, which in opening gestures give the visible blow, seem to strike from the greatest possible distance.

Horizontal or Wave, i. e. a circular or straight movement across the body; often used for grace or variety with 1. O., h. O., front O., back O., s. O., and always with W. O.

Starting with hand in normal position when dropped at side, with palm toward body, bend fingers toward palm; bend elbow, bringing forearm and hand, with fingers curled, across the body; then, if making a simple gesture, move to the position for the stroke of the gesture, first, elbow, then forearm, and last, wrist, thumb and fingers; but if making a wave gesture, after bringing hand as high and far one side of shoulder as the stroke of gesture is to carry it the other side, first, while in front of body, throw wrist, thumb and fingers into position, then move

End of Gesture.

177. To answer requirements of beauty, the elbow, wrist and fingers, at end of gesture, should together form a compound curve, not a simple curve nor a straight line.

of

To answer requirements strength, the muscles of elbow, wrist and fingers, forming this compound curve, should be tense, not limp, and seem to have struck a strong blow with backs of fingers.

Low Opening, 1. O. Elbow very slightly bent, about four inches to one side, and also in front of hip; wrist well down, with palm visible to audience; thumb up and out from palm, but not held stiffly; fingers almost touching each other, the first pointing to the floor, the others very slightly curled.

Low O. Finger, 1. O. F. or 1. F., usually 1. f. F. Finger, elbow and wrist bent as in 1. O.; the first finger pointing straight to floor, with its side to audience; the other fingers curled as much as possible, with the thumb bent in at all its joints and folded over the curled fingers.

Low O. Fist, 1. 0. Ft. Elbow bent as in 1. O.; wrist bent toward elbow, thumb and fingers clasped and knuckles up. Do not make a weak fist.

High Opening, h. O. Elbow bent and wrist weli down, as in 1. O.; the first finger pointing horizontally; the backs of the others on a line level with it, striking the air below them; but the thumb held up so the palm will be visible to audience.

High O. Finger, h. O. F. Elbow more bent, the forefinger pointing straight up, the others curled firmly against the palm, the knuckles to audience and the thumb out.

High O. Fist, h. O. Ft. Same as h. O. F., with the first finger and thumb bent in at every joint.

the hand back across the body to the side in a very free, generous arch, on a line exactly parallel to the floor, cutting the air with the side of the first finger, which points toward the floor, and constantly changing the elbow and wrist angles till the gesture ends at the side of body.

In preparing for O. gestures with both hands, B. O., the little fingers of the two hands frequently touch, but it is not customary to have them cross each other.

Middle, m. O., F. or Ft. Gesture at breast level.

Wave, Side, Front, Back Opening, w. O., s. O., f. O., bk. O. Same as high O., with the wrist bent down more and first finger pointing more directly to the floor. In bk. O. the fingers sometimes point outward, with all their fronts visible to audience.

Side O. Finger, s. F. Same as s. O., with first finger pointing, its side uppermost, and thumb folded over other fingers. When forcibly made, the arm may be straight at elbow.

Side O. Fist, s. O. Ft. Elbow bent, wrist, palm and knuckles up.

Preparatory Movements. 178. Perpendicular, i. e. straight up and down.

Starting with hand in normal position when dropped at side, do following things successively: Turn knuckles, with fingers curled on palm, toward audience; lift straight arm toward audience till at angle of forty-five degrees from body; then bend elbow up and wrist down, hiding palm from audience, carrying forearm up high enough to begin to descend for the end of gesture; then, as it descends, throw wrist up and fingers and thumb into position for the end of gesture. Last of all, in 1. C. or s. C., straighten the arm, at the same time turning the wrist about so that the fingers shall point away from the body; in h. C., throw wrist, fingers and thumb into position with a forward movement of the forearm, but leave the elbow still slightly bent.

Horizontal or Wave, i. e.

End of Gesture.

179. To be graceful, the elbow, wrist, thumb and fingers, at end of gesture, should form a compound curve, not a simple curve nor straight line. So in 1. C. and w. C. the elbow is straightened.

To seem strong, the muscles forming this compound curve should be tense, not limp, and appear to have struck a vigorous blow; in 1. C. and w. C. partly with the outside edge of little finger, and partly with tips of all the fingers; in h. C. or h. F. with either the fronts or backs of the fingers.

Low Closing, 1. C. or C. Arm straight, elbow unbent, wrist about eight inches to one side of the body, bent up; fingers parallel to floor and pointing outward, straight and touching each other; thumb down and visible to audience.

Low C. Finger, 1. C. F. Usually in front, knuckles to audience, elbow and wrist bent, first finger pointing straight to floor, others curled in and thumb out from palm.

Low C. Fist, 1. C. Ft. Same as