Here is a cute clip of my current performance. Now, this is an example of what hand performance may look like as a *category. As an element of vogue femme, hand performance is often complementary to the other four elements, especially cat-walks and duck-walks. It is necessary to the flow of vogue and acts as an intermediary between elements.
At its essence, hand performance is about storytelling. It could be literal, for example, if were to think of opening my blush and I'm touching up my face, I would take those corresponding actions and translate that into my hand performance. However, the most common 'story' you will find portrayed in one's hand performance is one of capturing and distilling one's femininity. This element serves as a means to deliver the performer's perception of femininity. If one perceives their feminine as strong and deliberate, they will serve a more *dramatic hand performance and if one perceives their feminine to be dainty and quaint, they will serve a performance that is softer. I for one, lean towards a more soft performance. Such are the reflections of my own perceptions of femininity and how I sit in it.
Given the time since I've danced this style, there are a few things to note. I can definitely extend more and utilise the surrounding space by elongating my limbs to make my performance feel more expansive. I think the constant framing of my face, though cute, can be repetitive, so it's something I'll be more conscious of. I find also that I've lost the ability to perform *compound combos and depend far too much on the movement of my right hand over the other. The last thing is my musicality. As an element, hand performance is reliant on the performer's ability to 'catch the beat'. I seem to ponder on the beat before responding, resulting in a slow performance that lags behind the music.
A comprehensive breakdown of hand performance:
Terms:
*Category - used to describe the separate dance/runway forms performed during a ball. E.g. The category is ... Butch Queen Vogue Femme (Men's Vogue Category) and Female Realness (Transwomen Runway Category).
*Dramatics - one of the two sub-styles of vogue femme. This sub-style is as the name implies. It is very dramatic and theatrical, relying on stunts and frantic breakdowns.
*Compound combos - used to describe combos that have both hands moving independently from one another, creating asymmetry and adding intricacy to one's hand performance.
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