How to Teach Body Positions in Ballet

Whether you're instructing ballet to beginners, or a parent who wants to supplement her child's learning with work at home, it's important to be familiar with the body positions of ballet. Five basic ballet positions are the building blocks for every aspiring dancer. Here's how to form them.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

First Position

1. Instruct the students to stand with their toes turning out so that they form a "V" with their feet. Their heels and knees should be together. This is known as first position.

2. Tell them to adjust the turnout of their feet if they feel like they're falling over.

3. Demonstrate the arm placement. Students should gently curve their arms at the elbow and wrist as both are held out in front of the body.

Second Position

4. Demonstrate the move into second position. Separate your feet about the width of your shoulders.

5. Place your arms to the sides, again a gentle curve.

6. Make sure your hips have proper turnout.

Third Position

7. Teach third position by picking up one foot and placing it so that the heel touches about midway on the inside of other foot.

8. Adjust your feet if you feel they aren't fully planted on the ground.

9. Raise the arm that corresponds to your front foot over your head to form a half-circle, and place the other arm out to the side. The arm to the side should not lag behind.

Fourth Position

10. Show the fourth ballet position by stepping forward with your front foot and placing it about 12 inches apart from the other foot.

11. Check your foot position. The heel of your forward foot should be directly in front of the toe of your back foot.

12. Move the arm that is out to the side directly in front of you. The other arm remains raised.

Fifth Position

13. Demonstrate fifth position by picking up the front foot and placing the heel of that foot against the big toe joint of the back foot. This position is similar to the third position.

14. Lift the other arm to raised position. Both arms should now be above your head, with hands in a soft curve. Shoulders should be relaxed, not up by your ears.

15. Check all body positions. Do students still have good turnout of the hips?

Tips & Warnings

• Have all students hold the positions while you check and correct any misplacements that you see. This is important so that they learn the position correctly. Have each student look in the mirror as you are correcting their placement so they can also see their bodies in the proper position.
• Be sure to note and celebrate improved turnout as the students gain in flexibility.
• All movements should become more fluid as the students practice and move through the five positions.
• Have students practice all five positions with the right foot in front and then the left foot in front or vice versa.
• Remember that arm movements will be opposite for the third, fourth and fifth positions when you work with the other foot in front.
• Place helpful posters of each position in your dance room to help students and parents remember each position. Check the Instruct Dance website for purchasing information.

Resources

• The Instruct Dance website has posters of each ballet position available.
• The Ballet Tech Ohio website has diagrams and photos of the five positions.
• The Arts Edge website describes the language of ballet.