Ballet Lesson 4 of 7: Fifth Position

This picture shows the feet in fifth position. Fifth position is the most common of the five basic foot positions and involves the toes of the front foot being equal with and touching the heel of the back foot and vice versa. When in fifth position the dancer’s arms may be positioned above the head as highlighted in the first photograph, or alternatively falling rounded forming an oval shape su explicación in front of the body, as they are in the first position. Despite being the most common position it is also the hardest to correctly perform. While in fifth position it is important that the feet move equally to one another. Like the other positions when in fifth position the top of the body should form a straight line, however in the photograph, the dancer’s pelvis is tilted forward a little too far causing the derriere to appear flat and lifeless. As outlined in the above lesson where the derriere was sticking out, this is caused by a lack of control over the muscles in the back and stomach, and in order for this to be rectified these muscles must be strengthened, as must the technique be worked on to ensure that the dancer is able to correctly perform this step before moving onto steps which are more involved, and as such put the dancer at a risk of injury. There are several problems with the way that this position is being performed. The movement does not look like the dancer has enough control over her legs, with the knees being able to be positioned over the toes, and the ankles pulled up while the bottom is too flat. Each of these needs to be addressed separately in order for the movement to appear both controlled and fluent. Control of the legs must come from the hips. All muscles of the legs need to be working toward making fifth position appear effortless and fluent. Before a dancer is able to master fifth position, he or she should progress through each of the previous four positions moving on only when they have mastered the position previous. This ensures that the dancer’s technique is developed enough to handle the subsequent movements. The positions in ballet have been numbered according to the level of skill which is required to be able to perform the position correctly. You can find out more in The Complete Ballet Bible Package