Basic Ballet Positions

There are five basic positions. Each position has a foot position and a corresponding arm position. Some schools differ in the way that they teach first position, with low or high arms. This difference is often a question of children vs. adults; while children hold their arms low in first position, adults hold the arms high. Both positions are correct.

First Position

First position is done with the feet turned outwards (towards the sides), aiming toward a straight, 180-degree line with your feet. Turning out your feet this far has to be worked at and should not be forced. Always turn out as far as you can from the hip, and never let your knees or ankles 'make up the difference'. As far as you can turn out from your hips is where your own first position is.
Round your arms in front of you as though you are carrying a huge barrel against your body. These are the 'high' first position arms. To try the low version, keep your arms rounded and lower them until your arms are almost touching your legs.

Second Position

In second position, your feet stay turned out, but a space comes between your ankles. Don't go so wide that you lose your balance if you go into relevé, and do keep the same tips from first position about turning out in mind.Your arms should stay rounded and swing out to the sides so that they are extended on either side of your body. In all five arm positions, keep your shoulders down and don't let your elbows sag.

Third Position

The third of the basic ballet positions is achieved by bringing your two feet together again. Third position can be done either with the right heel tucked in front of the left arch or with the left heel tucked into the right arch. As always, feet are turned out.The corresponding arms depend on which foot is in front. If your right foot is tucked in front of the left, your left arm should be (rounded), raised above your head and your right arm should be at your side (the same height as in second position). Make sure that your raised left arm is not thrown back too far; shoulders down, arm rounded and fingers tucked. Alternatively, the raised arm can be rounded in front of your body in 'high first' position.
If your left foot is in front, reverse the two arm positions.

Fourth Position

Fourth is done by taking whichever foot was in front in third position and bringing it forward. There should be a gap now between your two feet, but a gap in the opposite direction as the gap you created in second position.
The arms are done by leaving the arm that was up in third position up. Bring the arm that was extended to your side in third position in front of your body in the 'high first' arm position in front of your chest.

Fifth Position

Fifth brings your feet and arms back together again. Bring the front foot in fourth back to the back foot and try to achieve two parallel lines with your feet. If your right foot is in front, your right heel should be in front of your left toes and your left heel behind your right toes. This is the most difficult of the foot positions; do not injure yourself trying to achieve this position.Arms in fifth are one of the most common ballerina arm poses and accompany many ballet movements. Both arms are rounded above the head; make sure that your arms are not too far back, are nicely rounded and your shoulders are down.