Five Positions

The Five Positions are the basic positions of the feet in ballet. Most steps in classical ballet start and end with one of these.

They were formally enunciated in the late 17th century, probably by Pierre Beauchamp. They are:

1. The feet form a straight line, pointing in opposite directions, with the heels touching.
2. The feet again form a straight line, but are separated by the length of a small step.
3. The feet are parallel, one slightly in front of the other, positioned so that the heel of the front foot fits into the instep of the other foot.
4. One foot is placed a step in front of the other.
5. The feet are parallel, one in front of but touching the other so that the big toe of the rear foot is just past the heel of the other foot.

There have been attempts, notably by Serge Lifar, to introduce further positions, but they have not met with wide acceptance.

References

• Koegler, Horst, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Ballet, 2nd ed (1987, ISBN 0-19-311330-9), Oxford University Press p.157