First Position

First position is the first position that you will learn in ballet. Your feet should be turned outwards, preferably 180 degrees to each other. Your legs and pelvis have to be turned outward, completely straight, and pulled upwards. Your upper body is pulled upwards, but your shoulders and elbows are pushing downwards. Your arms are in a slightly curved and your fingers are near your upper thigh.

Second Position

Second position has the first position legs, but there should be a gap in between each of the feet. The gap should be the size of about one of your feet. In the same way, your body must be pulled up, but your shoulders and elbows down. Your arms should be out to the side, with your elbows upwards, shoulders down, and your fingers pointing in a downward direction and facing forward. This is one of the hardest arm positions because it requires a lot of strength!

Third Position

Third Position is the least used position and the beginner position to transition into fourth and fifth position. One of your feet are turned out and the other foot is turned in, directed forward, and the heel of the turned in foot need to be crossed and touching the highest point of your arch on your other foot. It might sound confusing, but it is simpler than you think. There are three or four different methods of ballet technique and all of them have different arm positions for third position. The Vaganova method teaches us to place the arms in a slightly higher position than first position, between the top of your ribs and your lower abdomen. The Cecchetti and Royal/French School have one arm in second or demi-second position and the other in first position.

Fourth Position

For fourth position, both of your feet are turned out, with one foot being about one of your feet length away from the other turned out foot. As same as the other positions, you must have the correct posture, and your legs must be turned out. As for the arms, one arm is in one arm is in second or first position and the other is rounded and raised above the head. Another method teaches that you have one arm stretched in front of you, with your arms slightly bent, and the other one behind you, in the same manner.

Fifth Position

Fifth position is fourth position feet but with no space in between the feet. Your body needs to be in the same turned out and pulled up, but elbows and shoulders pushed down stance. The arms are curved, raised up, and slightly forward of your head. Your shoulders should be pushed down and your elbows pushed to the side.

Sixth Position

This position is the easiest and simplest position. You just need to stand straight with your two feet turned in and parallel to each other. There is no official arm position for sixth position.