Latin Arm Styling: Basic Technique and Practice Exercises

The short answer: good Latin arms start in your back, not your hands. The movement travels from the centre of your back through the shoulder blades, shoulder, elbow and wrist, and the fingers finish it. For a sideways movement the arm follows a descending line and stays below the shoulder. Build it with a simple port de bras exercise, and keep your technique the priority: arms get easier as your feet, balance and rhythm improve.

Why do my arms feel out of control in Latin dancing?

When you first learn to dance you're all hands, legs and feet. Your nervous system does things with your arms that you're not even aware of. Mine certainly did, and fixing it took a good amount of practice and a stage of looking terrible.

When you watch a great dancer's arms, you're seeing years of training behind closed doors. Arm styling sits on top of technique, mechanics (how you use your body) and musicality. As your balance and coordination develop, your arms become much easier to control.

What does "natural and unaffected" mean for your arms?

The original technique says the arms should be natural and unaffected. Natural means trained. Unaffected means the arm isn't an awkward movement that throws you off balance. For example, in a turn or spin your arms can't go behind your body, because they'll pull you off.

The original technique also kept the arms below the shoulder line, partly because dancers wore tail suits. As dancing became more athletic and powerful, the technique was revised and arm styling evolved with it.

How do your arms change as you improve?

At a social and medallist level, the arms move away from your body when you move away from your partner, and towards your body when you move towards your partner. Most early choreography should be partnering, not solo work.

At an advanced level you can add static arms, dynamic arms, constant arms that grow, arms with impulse, and stylised arms, like the arm in a New Yorker. That comes later, but there's no harm in trying it now.

How do you practise Latin arm styling?

1. Start from your back: the movement begins in the middle of your back and travels up through the shoulder blades, out through the shoulder, elbow and wrist, and into the hand.
2. Follow a descending line: for a sideways movement, the shoulder, elbow, wrist and fingers slope gently down. Stand side on to a mirror and check it.
3. Bring the arm back in: let it come in and around to make contact with your body before it goes out again, so the movement looks connected.
4. Port de bras: bring the middle two fingers in, as if you're holding tennis balls under your armpits. Raise the hands to chest height, turn the arms out without moving the hands, rotate the wrists so the fingers point up and the palms face the floor, then bring the hands down like you're painting the air.
5. Add it to your Rumba Walks: hold the port de bras position, start walking, and take the arms up to chest height, out, and down.
6. Finish with your hands: the hands complete the movement, so they shouldn't be a claw.

Common mistakes

• Making arm styling the main focus before your feet, balance, posture and rhythm are working.
• Moving the arm from the hand instead of from the back.
• Lifting a sideways arm above the shoulder, or flicking the hand up at the end.
• Letting the arms swing behind the body, especially in turns and spins.
• Holding the arms rigid with too much tension, or letting them go completely dead.

Try this in your next practice

Stand side on to a mirror and do port de bras and out a few times. Then add it to your Rumba Walks. Finish by practising a simple sideways arm movement in front of the mirror until you like the look of it.

Frequently asked questions

Where do arm movements start in Latin dancing?

In your back, especially the middle section through the shoulder blades. From there the movement flows out through the shoulder, elbow and wrist, and the fingers finish it.

Should beginners work on arm styling?

Be aware of your arms and aim to work towards it, but it isn't the core focus at the start. Get your feet, balance, posture, coordination and rhythm working first, and arms become a lot easier.

How high should my arms go in a sideways movement?

Not above the shoulder. The arm follows a descending line from the shoulder through the elbow and wrist to the fingers.

How much tension should be in my arms?

Think of a scale from 10 to 100. Ten is the most relaxed your arm should be (zero is dead) and 100 is far too much tension. You want tone without rigidity, and the energy always has to match what the step is asking of your body.

Which dances are best for practising Latin arms?

I found Cha Cha Cha and Rumba the best dances for developing arms and coordination, because sideways arm movements are so common in them.

Related lessons

• Rumba Forward Check body actions
• How to use your feet for Latin American dancing
• Rumba basic and advanced routine
• How to express yourself better in dancing

Vaughan Liddicoat is a 4 time World Professional 10 Dance representative for Australia, an accredited coach and the founder of Ballroom Mastery. He has a passion for dance and wants to help you become the best dancer you can be and have an amazing time doing it.