Are There 5 or 6 Positions in Ballet?

Ballet

Ballet is a beautiful, graceful and elegant art form that has been around for centuries. It is a highly technical dance form that requires extensive training and practice to master.

One of the most important aspects of ballet is the positions of the feet and arms – which are used to create the lines, shapes and patterns of the choreography. For many years, it has been widely accepted that there are five basic positions in ballet, with some variations between them. However, in recent times there have been debates about whether or not there are actually six positions in ballet.

The 5 Positions
The five positions of ballet are traditionally numbered from first to fifth and correspond to where the feet should be placed relative to each other when standing. In first position, the feet should be pointing outwards at an angle with heels touching and toes apart. Second position sees the heels still touching but the feet now wider apart than in first position.

Third position is similar to second however one foot will now be slightly ahead of the other with both feet pointing outwards at an angle. Fourth position takes this further with both feet now further apart than third position and one foot still slightly ahead of the other. And finally, fifth position sees both feet pointing directly forward with heels touching.

The 6th Position
In recent years there has been talk about a sixth ‘open’ position which would see one foot slightly ahead but both heels separated rather than touching as in fifth position. This open sixth position could be useful for certain steps or movements that require more range of motion between legs than what is available from fifth position alone.

Conclusion

Whether or not there are five or six positions in ballet is ultimately up to personal interpretation and preference as it does not change the fundamental concepts behind ballet technique. Ultimately, all dancers should strive for correct posture and control when executing each movement regardless of what number they assign to each particular stance or pose.