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The Five Basic Ballet Positions
One of the first things you need to master is the Five Basic Ballet Positions. All basic moves start from and end in one of these five positions or a slight variation thereof. The Basic Ballet Positions for arm and feet are simply known as First, Second, Third, Forth and Fifth. You should at least be taken through some or all of the five positions of the feet during your first lesson. To put the arms in at the beginner stage can sometimes be a little confusing and some teachers will teach a few lessons without the arm positions. You will just be asked to keep your arms in 1st or 2nd position to help balance you. 
This gives you the opportunity to concentrate on getting the positions of the feet correct. However other teachers will just go right ahead and have you doing both the feet and arm positions from day one. Neither approach is right or wrong, simply a variance in teaching style. Photos of all five positions are below. These are very deliberately not 'text-book' versions of the positions. If the photos showed a professional ballerina who had perfect turnout and tiny, skinny legs doing each of the positions with immaculate accuracy, you might find it a bit off-putting. There’s no way you should expect to be doing these positions perfectly in your first lessons. So just copy the more accessible version here to start with. As your dancing progresses, the flexibility and suppleness that you will gain will help you turn out more, and do more ‘perfect’ versions of what’s here. This is the position that most of the steps you practice as a beginner will start from. So it’s important to get it right. Your feet should be turned out only as far as is comfortable. It is vital that you feel completely balanced in this position and that all of the sole of your foot and toes are in contact with the floor. Check that your feet aren’t rolling forwards or turned out so far that you feel you are going to fall over. And certainly don’t try to get them in a completely straight line a la Charlie Chaplin! Also, notice how your heels probably won’t touch – don’t worry about this at all. Just as close as is comfortable is fine.
From 1st Position (above), slide one foot away from the other. The space in between your feet should be about one and a half lengths of your foot. Keep your feet comfortably turned out.
Now slide your foot back to touch the other, but instead of touching heels together as in 1st, this time bring one foot further across the other. The heel of your front foot should be touching the area of the arch of your back foot.
From the 3rd Position (above) slide your front foot directly out in front of you. Stop when the distance between your feet is equal to about one foot’s length.
Slide your front foot directly back towards you. Bring your front foot slightly further across your back foot than in 3rd position. So when your feet are touching, your front toe should be roughly in front of your back heel. The 'ideal' of this position is to get your front foot so far across your back foot, that you can't see the one at the back. You are so turned out that you are standing front toe to back heel, and back toe to front heel. But to execute this perfectly takes years of training. What is demonstrated here is perfectly acceptable for a beginner. And far more comfortable!
Keep your arms nice and relaxed, and roughly the width of your face apart. Your hands shouldn’t be touching your thighs. Keep them just an inch or so in front of you.
For a smooth transition from 1st Position arms to 2nd, first simply raise your arms until they are almost shoulder height in front of you. Keep them roughly the width of your face apart. Then, to get to 2nd, all you have to do is open them.
Your arms out to the side should form a smooth line. Don’t do the ‘Dead Bird’ thing here. Your elbows should be facing the back of the room. Extend your hand comfortably and keep it relaxed – no pointing!
This is bringing one arm only in front if you, leaving the other in 2nd position.
This is one arm raised and one arm in 2nd. The arm that is raised should be opposite to the foot you have in front. So if your right foot is in front, you raise your left arm.
Finally, raise both arms. As with all these positions, make sure that it is your arms that are raised, and NOT your shoulders. Arms should be look smooth with your elbows and hands softly rounded (and definitely no pointing). You are executing ballet positions, not directing traffic!
On to BALLET POSTURE
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