How To Do Basic Ballet Positions Video

Move fluidly through all 5 basic ballet positions. Learn how to do basic ballet positions in this dancing video.

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1st position
2nd position
3rd position
4th position
5th position

About this Author

Emily Larew is a professional dancer and dance teacher. She has studied at LA's The Edge and Millennium dance studios. She has studied with, taught and choreographed for tappers all over the US. Emily has toured with Big Idea's "Veggie Tales Live" National Tour, performed in numerous theatres in music awards programs, danced for cruise ships, music videos, the Beth Moore women's conference, and D.C. Talk's HERO! Tour. Emily can be found teaching tap at Nashville Dance Center and DC Dance Factory in Nashville, TN.

EMILY LAREW: Hi, I'm Emily Larew and right now I'm going to show you how to perform basic ballet positions. So we're going to go ahead and start facing front. You want to make sure wherever your front is is where your audience is going to be. So, we're going to start first position, arms open to seconde, and we're going to tendu our right foot forward. We are now in a la quatrieme devant. That means that we're facing the front and our leg, our working leg, is facing the front as well. And we're going to close to first, a la quatrieme devant, and first. Now, I'm going to tendu my right leg back and I am now in a la quatrieme derriere. So that means that my working leg is in behind me but I'm still facing the front with my body positions. So make sure when you are doing these that your weight is in the back of your foot. You're not-weight's right back here, make sure your weight is over the ball of your foot of your supporting leg and close first. Now we're going to tendu second and close fifth, now I'm facing the corner. So, now I'm going to tendu my right leg forward and I'm going to open my arms. Right here, we have croise devant. I'm in a crossed position towards the front. Now, if I tendu my back leg and switch my right arm above, I'm in croise derriere, behind me. If I close this then open my right foot up, I am now in ecarte devant, front. If I close it behind and open my left foot, tendu to the side, I'm now in ecarte derriere. Still facing the corner but it's now-my tendu leg is to the back. If I close my left leg this front and I tendu it to the front and my left arm is up in 4th position high, I am now in a passe devant. So this is an open position. I'm no longer crossed, I'm open. If I close fifth and do my right leg in a tendu with my right arm up, I am now in a passe derrreire and you close first. Good, so whenever you're doing, performing your basic ballet body positions, you just want to make sure that wherever your body is facing, that's really what sets it off and to be-to start in position like ecarte, a passe, a la quatrieme, okay. So good job.

How to Do Basic Ballet Positions Video

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