The 5 Positions in Ballet

First position…and second…up to fifth!

Have you heard us talking about the different positions in ballet class?

The 5 basic ballet positions are an essential part of classical ballet and are one of the first things your ballerina learns. Have a read and see if you can spot your little dancer using them in class!

Prep / Start Position * Feet are parallel, together and facing the front * Arms are ‘Bras Bas’, both arms are down and rounded, fingers almost touching.

First Position * Heels together, toes apart * Arms are held in front, rounded elbows. I find with my under 5s, saying “Blow me a bubble!” produces a beautiful first position with their arms!

Second Position * Feet are hip width apart, toes pointing out * Arms held out to the side, slightly rounded elbows

Third Position * One foot moves in front of the other one, resting about half way, both feet turned out * One arm stays out to the side like in second, and the other comes back in front, like in first

Fourth Position * One arm stays out to the side, the other stretched up above your head * Fourth position is very important as it is the starting point for many types of pirouettes and spins! To get the distance right, starting from third position, point forwards, and press your heel down. This makes the distance of approx 1 length of your foot.

Fifth Position * Both arms above your head, elbows curved to make a nice oval shape * Like third position except the heel of one foot is touching the big toe of the other

It’s super important with young dancers not to force the legs to turnout too much. Children will push their knees out more than is safe so that they can look really flash, but we need to reign this in to keep those little knees and legs safe while they are still developing.

- Note: There is variation among ballet schools with third and fourth position, due to the different styles of ballet. There isn't a right or wrong, just a simple variance in teaching style. I teach the Third and Fourth positions that are most commonly used in New Zealand.

First and second positions with the feet are introduced right from the very first Baby Ballet lesson. The children love ‘standing like a ballerina’ and while it can be challenging to stay balanced at first, they pick it up fast! Third position feet are introduced gently in Junior ballet, and regularly in Primary ballet. Fourth and Fifth position feet are kept until Senior ballet as it takes a lot more control to maintain the right alignment.

For arms, I introduce a simple Port de Bras (arm movement) of "First…out to Second…up to Fifth" right from Baby Ballet. There are so many creative ways to help them visualise what to do. Blowing a bubble, holding a beach ball, making a snowman, it’s so much fun!

The other arm positions are added in formally in Senior Ballet, but often make their way into our exercises before then.

For our May/June challenge, our Senior Ballerinas were focusing on the 5 positions in ballet.

Taking the time to get the details right, we focused on the little things that make each position more elegant, and gracefully moving between each position. They all did a great job and were super proud to receive their certificates!