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It is set backward in pride.
It bends forward in assent.

It bends slightly in reflection.

It shows negation by a horizontal movement from side to side.

It expresses melancholy by inclining downward to the left side.

THE FACE.

The face leads in expression.

The face should reflect or mirror the sentiment to be expressed. It expands in joy, contracts in pain, and is elongated in sorrow. Of the face the eye is generally considered the most expressive feature. Interest in an object is expressed by fixing the eyes upon it; indifference, by averting them, or turning them, after a glance, away. In reflection, meditation, thoughtful consideration, and self-examination, the eyelids close over the ball in a greater or less degree, in accordance with the depth of the thoughtful consideration or the strictness of the self-examination. The eyes express depreciation of an object by first glancing askance at it, and then partly closing.

Although the eye is usually considered the most expressive feature of the face, close observation will convince that it really needs the expressions or gestures of the mouth and nose, and sometimes also of the upper part of the face, the forehead and eyebrows, to translate its language.

The eye may be said to lead the face in expression as it indicates. To express disdain and

disgust it needs the assistance of the nose and mouth.

To express astonishment the eyes are wide open and the brows raised. Perplexity in thought is expressed by a slight frown. All aggressive gestures are accompanied by the knitting of the brows. The eyes are raised to express faith, hope, and love. They are cast down in modesty.

THE HAND.

The hand with the aid of the face can express every mood, translate every language.

The hand is an assistant to the expression the face has already given. In a proper carriage of the hand the fingers group themselves thus: the two middle fingers are held together slightly bent inwards. The index-finger and the little finger are separated slightly from the two middle fingers, the index nearly straight, the little finger slightly curved. The thumb is held nearly on a line with the index-finger.

The clinched hand signifies conflict.

The hand closed with the thumb at the side of the first finger signifies power.

The hand partly opened from the clinched fist, with the fingers somewhat apart and the first joint bent, signifies a convulsive state. Execration is expressed in the same manner, only the hand is more opened.

The hand opened to full extent expresses exaltation. The hand opened to full extent with the fingers wide apart signifies exasperation.

We use the tips of the fingers when illustrating fine distinctions or urging nice critical points. The hand prone expresses superposition-one thing placed on or lying upon another.

While the supine hand expresses the naked truth, the prone clothes the thought with some repressive emotion, as grief, sadness, or any sentiment of a grave, solemn, and subdued character. The supine hand permits, the prone rejects; the supine impels, the prone restrains.

The supine is open, frank, genial; the prone is aversive. The supine hand indicates nearness; the prone, distance.

Directive gestures are necessary when the words Lo! yonder, this, that, behold! etc., are used.

In gesticulation it is of vital importance that the whole arm initiate the movement. Perfect relaxation of the muscles of the arm should precede this initial movement.

EXERCISES.

1st. Relax the muscles of the arms, then turn the trunk of the body, letting the arms flop right and left. Extend the right arm horizontal front. Move the hand (vertically) up and down; move it horizontally right and left.

2d. Rotate the arm. Rotate the hand, the centre of motion being the elbow.

The above exercises should be practised until the student has acquired flexibility of the muscles.

Without flexibility there can be no grace of ges

ture.

THE ELBOW.

"The elbow turned outward signifies strength, power, audacity, domination, arrogance, abruptness, activity. The elbow drawn inward signifies impotence, fear, subordination, humility, passiveness, poverty of spirit."

CARRIAGE OF THE BODY.

An easy and correct bearing is of the first importance.

Care should be taken to hold the abdomen in, the chest up, and the shoulders backward and downward.

The carriage or bearing of the speaker should correspond to and be in harmony with the sentiment he is uttering.

EXERCISES.

The following exercises should be practised until the pupil is able to "stand still with ease and move with grace :"

1st. Stand easily erect, with the weight of the body resting equally upon the feet. Carefully hold the abdomen up by the muscles of the thorax and the back, and in by the abdominal muscles.

2d. With the weight of the body resting upon either hip, carry the leg that is then free forward with the knee slightly bent.

3d. Standing in the first position, place one foot behind, resting the weight upon it, then bend

the backward knee until it rests upon the floor. Incline the trunk of the body forward and the head backward. To rise, shift the weight of the body to the advanced leg.

WALKING.

In walking, the ball of the foot should meet the ground first.

Ladies can walk with or without heels provided they have learned to walk.

No shoes which interfere with the hinge-like movement necessary in good walking should be

worn.

"The elastic step of youth," of which poets love to sing, is really the step of every lady, old or young, who has acquired the difficult art of walking.

To walk well one must first breathe well.

The chest should be held high and the abdomen drawn backward. If the chest is held high, the shoulders will naturally fall backward and downward. If too much effort be made to draw the shoulders backward and downward, one is apt to throw the abdomen outward.

In walking, the legs should swing from the hipjoints-or, to speak more elegantly, "the impulse should be given from the thigh," and the toes be turned slightly outward.

EXERCISES.

1st. Standing in the first position (i.e., with the heels together and the weight of the body

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