Hmmm...My arms are 19'' from armpit to wrist (I am 5'2'', so I hear ya!). All of the fans have a 12''+/- 0.5'' stave. Unless you go custom made, the next smallest staves are nearly half the length. These are very small, and honestly will become lost in your costume and your dance. So, here's my advice: I would suggest that you concentrate more of the fan movement in your wrist, using the elbow more as a shock absorber. I'm just guessing here, but I think most of the jabbing is due to increased elbow movement (I'll let ya know when I see ya, though!). Another reason for "jabbing" may be because the wrist is pulling the fan more in and out relative to the body rather than up and down. I say, go with the fans you want, and I'll show you how to modify your arm positions (or even body posture) to make things work!

As a general comment on fan arm position: The more open your arms, and lifted your chest, the better they look and the easier they handle---go with full-on ATS posture!

Hope all this helps!