How to Teach Feet Positions in Ballet

When teaching ballet, instructing your students on the proper feet positions is extremely important. Read on to find out how to teach first through fifth positions in a clear and efficient manner so that your students understand these basic ballet positions.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Teach your students first position. Tell them to put their heels together and to rotate their legs out from their hips so that their feet and toes turn out. When they bend their knees, or plié, in first position as well as in all of the following positions, their knees should be over their toes.

2. Instruct your students to start in first position, then to take one foot and slide it out directly to the side to make second position. Students should have their feet hip width apart with their legs and feet turned out in second position.

3. Ask your students to take one heel and place it at the arch of their other foot with both of their feet turned out to form third position.

4. Tell your students to place one foot about a foot in front of the other foot with their feet and toes pointed out to make fourth position.

5. Guide your students from fourth to fifth position by telling them to take the heel of one foot and place it at the big toe of the other foot, with one foot in front of the other and both legs and feet still turned out.

Tips & Warnings

• Demonstrate each position as you're teaching them so that your students have a solid example to learn from. Walk around the room and nicely correct your students to make sure that they clearly understand the five feet positions.
• Students should always strive to improve their turnout in each of the five positions, but instruct your students to avoid turning their feet out to an unnatural point where their knees are not over their toes when they plié.
• Let your students know that first, second, fourth and fifth positions are the main feet positions that are used in ballet class and in performances, and that third position is rarely used.