Dance position is a position of a dancer or a mutual position of a dance couple assumed during a dance. Describing and mastering proper dance positions is an important part of dance technique.
In ballet, the term pose is used to describe stationary dance positions; the most important are referred to as "First position" through to "Fifth position" - these are described in the glossary of ballet terms.
Dance positions of a single dancer may be further detailed into body, head, arm, hand, leg, and foot positions.
Dance positions in a dance couple additionally take into an account connection, relative orientation of partners, and directions of movement (or of movement intention).
Famous quotes containing the words dance and/or positions:
“Yes, dance. Dance and dream. Dream that you’re Mrs. Henry Jekyll of Harley Street, dancing with your own butler and six footmen. Dream that they’ve all turned into white mice and crawled into an eternal pumpkin.”
—John Lee Mahin (1902–1984)
“The season developed and matured. Another year’s installment of flowers, leaves, nightingales, thrushes, finches, and such ephemeral creatures, took up their positions where only a year ago others had stood in their place when these were nothing more than germs and inorganic particles. Rays from the sunrise drew forth the buds and stretched them into long stalks, lifted up sap in noiseless streams, opened petals, and sucked out scents in invisible jets and breathings.”
—Thomas Hardy (1840–1928)