Positions of The Feet in Ballet

The positions of the feet in ballet is a fundamental part of classical ballet technique that defines proper placement of feet on the floor. There are five basic positions of the feet in modern-day classical ballet, known as the first through fifth positions. These five positions were codified by the dancing master Pierre Beauchamp in the late 17th century.

Two additional positions, known as the sixth and seventh positions, were codified by Serge Lifar in the 1930s while serving as Ballet Master at the Paris Opéra Ballet, though their use is limited to Lifar's choreographies. The sixth and seventh positions were not really Lifar's inventions, but revivals of positions that already existed in the eighteenth century, at the time of Jean-Georges Noverre, when there were not five but ten positions for the feet in classical ballet.

Read more about Positions Of The Feet In Ballet:  Five Basic Positions, Lifar's Additional Positions

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