The five positions of the feet in ballet and basic ballet terms explained

TUREFF• •0

Ballet has its own vocabulary, mostly in French, and nearly every exercise starts from one of five positions of the feet. Learn these and a handful of terms and you can follow most of a beginner class. Different schools and methods teach slightly different details, so always follow your teacher's version.

Before the positions: turnout

In all five positions the legs rotate outwards from the hips, so the feet point away from each other. This is called turnout. Beginners should only turn out as far as their hips allow and keep their knees in line over their toes. A smaller turnout done correctly is far better than a wide one forced from the knees or feet.

The five positions

First position: heels together, toes turned out to the sides, legs straight.
Second position: the same turnout, with the feet apart sideways, roughly the width of one and a half of your own feet or about hip width depending on the school.
Third position: one foot in front of the other, the heel of the front foot against the middle of the back foot. It is often used with beginners and children before fifth.
Fourth position: one foot in front of the other with a gap of about one of your own feet between them. It can be "crossed" (heel of the front foot in line with the toes of the back) or "open" (heels in line), depending on the method.
Fifth position: one foot directly in front of the other, the heel of the front foot touching the toe of the back foot. Done correctly it needs a lot of turnout, so beginners use a looser version.

Basic terms you will hear in your first class

Plié: a bending of the knees. Demi-plié is a half bend with heels on the floor; grand plié is a full bend, with the heels lifting in most positions.
Tendu (battement tendu): the working foot slides out along the floor until only the toes touch, then slides back. The foot never leaves the floor.
Dégagé (or battement glissé, or jeté, depending on the school): like a tendu, but the foot brushes just off the floor.
Relevé: a rise onto the balls of the feet (demi-pointe). In some methods a rise from straight legs is called élevé, and relevé starts from a plié.
Rond de jambe: a circle of the leg, either on the floor (à terre or par terre) or in the air (en l'air).
Retiré (also called passé): the working foot is drawn up to the knee of the supporting leg.
Développé: the leg unfolds from retiré out into the air.
Grand battement: a large, controlled kick of the straight leg.
Port de bras: carriage of the arms, and exercises focused on arm movements.
Sauté: a jump.
Pirouette: a turn on one leg.

Directions

Devant: to the front.
À la seconde: to the side.
Derrière: to the back.
En croix: in the shape of a cross, meaning front, side, back, side. Many barre exercises are done en croix.

Working and supporting leg

The supporting leg holds your weight; the working leg does the movement. At the barre, the supporting side is usually the one nearest the barre.

Positions of the arms

The arms also have numbered positions, but these vary more between methods than the feet do. Most begin with the arms low and rounded in front of the thighs, often called bras bas or preparatory position. Your teacher will show the version their school uses.

How to remember it all

Say the term out loud as you do the movement.
Watch the teacher's feet when they demonstrate, then their arms.
Keep a short list of new words after each class.
Do not worry about accents or pronunciation at first; understanding comes before polish.

Which term or position confuses you most? Ask in the comments, and share any memory tricks that helped you.