What Are the First 5 Ballet Positions?

Ballet

Ballet is an art form that has been around for centuries, and its basics are still taught to dancers today. The first five ballet positions are fundamental movements that are necessary to understand before progressing further into the art form. These five positions provide the basis of all ballet movement and set the stage for more advanced skills.

First Position

The First Position is a starting point for all other ballet steps. It is a basic foot and leg placement in which the feet are together, pointed outward at a 45 degree angle, with the heels touching each other and toes pointing away from the body. The feet should be close to parallel with each other, with both knees turned outwards.

Second Position

The Second Position is similar to the first but with a wider gap between the feet. To get into this position, dancers turn their feet outwards from their first position until they are at a 90 degree angle from each other. The heel of one foot should be placed directly in front of or slightly behind the toe of the other foot.

Third Position

The Third Position requires dancers to step out wider than their second position, so that one foot is directly in front of or slightly behind the other. A dancer’s heels should be touching while their toes should be apart, pointing away from each other at a 45 degree angle.

Fourth Position

The Fourth Position starts out like third position but then requires dancers to take an even wider step such that one foot is directly in front of or slightly behind the other, but this time with both toes touching. Both feet should still be pointed outward at a 45 degree angle.

Fifth Position

In Fifth Position, dancers start from fourth position but move one foot further back so that both heels are together and both toes are apart at a 90 degree angle.

This position can sometimes feel awkward for beginning dancers as it requires more flexibility in order to maintain balance and proper alignment.

Conclusion:
The First Five Ballet Positions provide an important foundation for all ballet steps and movements. All five positions require precision in order to obtain proper alignment and balance while dancing. Once these positions have been mastered, dancers can then progress onto more difficult moves and choreography within their ballet technique.