Clapping replaced with jazz hands: Where did the action come from and what other alternatives are there?

It's the British Sign Language action for applause

The University of Manchester made waves recently when its students’ union announced it would be encouraging students to replace clapping with jazz hands at events.

Jazz hands is the British Sign Language expression of clapping, and the university union hopes that by doing away with clapping, whooping and cheering, events will be more accessible to people suffering from anxiety and those with hearing problems.

But where did this decision come from and what other alternatives to clapping are there?

What’s the deal with jazz hands?

In British Sign Language, what’s technically known as ‘silent jazz hands’ is the action to show applause. It involves waving both hands by the sides of your body, around shoulder/face height.

The action was created not only because deaf people wouldn’t be able to hear clapping, but also because people often clap their hands in their laps or at waist level, which isn’t always easy to see.

It’s thought the action originated in France, where deaf people would wave their napkins in the air at banquets to show applause and approval.

Where did the Manchester University Students’ Union decision come from?

The decision has been made in order to be more inclusive.

According to student newspaper The Mancunion, the motion to replace clapping and cheering with jazz hands received little opposition from the university senate when it was raised on September 27.

However, the National Union of Students (NUS) has actually been encouraging delegates to applaud with jazz hands rather than clapping since 2015.

What’s more, in 2017 the NUS said there would be “consequences” for students who clap and whoop at events, following requests for people to stop.

However, the move was also criticised by some who pointed out that blind people cannot hear jazz hands.

What other alternatives to clapping are there?

Whilst clapping is one of the main ways applause is expressed across the world and jazz hands are used in British Sign Language, they’re not the only forms of ovation.

In Germany, for example, and in schools in particular, applause is often expressed by knocking on tables or desks with your knuckles.

Similarly, in newsrooms there’s a tradition of cheering someone out of the office, which is known as 'banging out' - employees bang their hands on their desks as a colleague leaves the room on their last day at the company.

In recent years, clicking your fingers has been adopted in the place of clapping in some workplaces - The New York Times declared snapping is the new clapping in 2015.

“Snapping repeatedly for a sustained several seconds is a way for audience members and classroom denizens to express approval without completely disrupting a lecture, speech or performance,” they wrote.

It’s seen to be a quiet - rather than silent - signal of agreement.