Retiré back

[Mireille]

What is the proper position of the working foot in retiré back? I learnt to place the heel behind the supporting knee, but a French-trained teacher asked that the toes be placed behind the supporting knee, which makes sense if in retiré front, the toes are right under the knee... did I learn it wrong or is it a matter of different schools?

[Victoria Leigh]

Different schools. Both are correct. Some teachers will ask for one way, some the other. Some teach both.

[CDR]

RAD say toes but I've done it both ways in the past.

[Serendipity]

Old Russian, iirc, is with the heel behind (and that's the way I learned it - from an old Russian at the start of my training! LOL). New apparently is with the toes, so I'm retraining my feet.

 

Then again, I learned ALL of my retire positions with a crossed foot, so it's been fun trying to get rid of 30+ years of habit in one summer!