Category: Dance and Move
2nd and 3rd Positions of the Feet, try them out!

2nd and 3rd Positions of the Feet, try them out!

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Ballet 2nd Position

Ballet has five positions of the feet. Today lets talk about Second and Third positions. All five positions are done from a turned out hip, toes to the side. Remember to keep your knees aligned over your toes. Be careful not to roll your ankles side to side either (it doesn’t look good and it can cause you some serious pain).

Second Position is when your feet are open, or apart rather, side to side. Your heels will ideally be under your shoulders.

Ballet 3rd Position

In 3rd Position your feet are one in front of the other. Which is in front depends on what you plan to do next. Your heals from each foot will touch the middle of the other foot.

It is probably going to feel all weird and tight in the beginning of this training. Eventually you get the hang of standing and moving from these positions though. They are a necessary part of ballet basics. Not to mention that it is especially handy to know how to stand and move side to side on a stage. Trust me on this.

grayscale photography of girl doing ballet
Ballet Beginnings

Ballet Beginnings

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Ballet has five positions of the feet. Every step or movement connects to these ballet positions. While using these positions keep your body centered and balanced, hips square, turn your legs out so that your toes point to your left and right. Don’t twist/rotate from your ankles!

When dancers talk about “turnout” it means how you rotate from where your hip and leg meet. Professional dancers may have a 180° turnout, that means they can point their toes in exactly the opposite directions, heels in the middle and toes side to side. A beginner will NOT have this flexibility yet (unless they are amazingly gifted or have practiced for another reason). In brief I will say that for now your turnout is where you can turn your legs/hips to the side and it doesn’t hurt.

First position for the feet is when you stand turned out from the hips, heels touching. Have your legs straight, but not locked. Toes should point to the left and right even with where your knee is pointing.

Most beginners will start and end their exercises from first position.

Ballet 1st Position

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