Basic Neoclassical Ballet Positions for the Feet : Dance Lesson for Beginners

A form sweeps lightly across the stage, gracefully arching arms and neck, balancing posture with poise effortlessly—this is the image that ballet dancers the world over spend a lifetime creating. They train their bodies into submission, investing years in dance schools, perfecting their jeté, their pas de chat, their relevé. When everything comes together, the ballet is a spectacle of wonder, telling us the timeless stories of history and the human heart through measured expressions of fluid and beautiful motion.

Ballet has changed in a few ways over the course of its history, with one school of thought giving way to another; yet, usually the basic ideas remain unchanged. Neoclassical ballet is a particular style of dance that puts more focus on the structure of movement, allowing the dancers to use more elaborate and complicated expressions.

In this free ballet video series, learn some of the basic steps you need to get started in ballet dancing. These beginner clips will showcase the fundamental movements and positions you need to learn, such as how to hold your feet and arms, and how to do the plié, tendu, rond de jambe, dégagé, and arabesque. You won’t be ready for Swan Lake after you watch these ballet lessons, but you will definitely be one dance step closer!

"Hi! My name is Connie Hale and thanks for joining me here at expertvillage.com. Today we are going to be going over some beginning ballet moves and ballet steps. If you are interested in partaking in ballet, you can visit us at www.synergydance.com and find a class that fits you. We are going to go over some simple positions right now with feet and arms. First position in ballet is simply feet meeting together and I am going to bring my pants up a little bit so you can see. Feet are going to meet together at the heels making the letter V with your feet and this is first position. Second position is simply sliding out, stepping a little bit wider. Again, feet are turned out pointing to the side. This is the second position. Third position we bring our foot in, heel meets to the center of the foot. Most ballet shoes are right where the elastic ties onto the shoe. So that is a little clue for the little ones but this is our third position. Fourth position the foot slides to the front, equal distance between on the side; let me step side so you can see. Here is fourth position and fifth position finally is we simply slide our foot in, toe to meet the heel and on this side you can see. So again we can flow right between the three of the five positions with first to second, to third to fourth and to fifth and facing the side so you can see first position, second, third, fourth and fifth. All right. That's your basic ballet positions for the feet."