Guest Samantha Posted October 9, 2002 Report Share Posted October 9, 2002 Can someone please tell me what the 8 basic ballet positions are and how to spell them?? My teacher was talking about them and I have no clue what they are. We have to know the names and how to do them.:confused: Thanks- Samantha Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted October 9, 2002 Administrators Report Share Posted October 9, 2002 Hello Samantha, and welcome to Ballet Alert! Online This post belongs in the Young Dancers' forum, so I'm going to move it there and then answer it! Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted October 9, 2002 Administrators Report Share Posted October 9, 2002 Okay, Samantha, now lets deal with the positions of the body In the Cecchetti System there are 8 positions, but in other schools there are 9. I think maybe Mr. Cecchetti left out one ;) Croisé devant A la quatrieme devant Écarté devant Effacé devant A la seconde Écarté derrière Effacé derrière (or in Cecchetti épaulé) A la quatrieme derrière Croisé derrière Link to comment
Guest Samantha Posted October 9, 2002 Report Share Posted October 9, 2002 Thank you sooo much!!! That was exactly what she was talking about!!!!! Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted October 9, 2002 Report Share Posted October 9, 2002 And in some other systems, there's an épaulé derrière, which faces an upstage corner, while épaulé devant faces a downstage corner... Link to comment
Guest dancer04 Posted October 10, 2002 Report Share Posted October 10, 2002 All of the positions are drawn out and written in French in Gail Grant's Technical Manual and Dictionay For Ballet. I believe that is the name of the book, I have it but it is in my locker at ballet at the moment. It is like $4 -$5 at any major bookstore. Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted October 10, 2002 Administrators Report Share Posted October 10, 2002 Right, dancer04. It's Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet. It now sells for $5. in most places I think. Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted October 10, 2002 Report Share Posted October 10, 2002 Another major contribution to ballet from Dover Publications - and cheap, too! Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted October 10, 2002 Report Share Posted October 10, 2002 Then, to make matters even more interesting, in the 1940s, Serge Lifar decided to add to the positions of the feet, making a sixth (first neutral, i.e., no turnout) and seventh (fourth neutral), and although Lifar didn't do it, at least one of his disciples added eighth position (second neutral). So to some, there were eight positions of the feet besides, but the Lifar positions haven't really lasted, most dancers choosing to use the Modern Dance designation "neutral" to indicate a position of the feet without turnout. (This is only trivia, and just added for your amusement;) ) Link to comment
Guest Samantha Posted October 10, 2002 Report Share Posted October 10, 2002 Thanks for all the help!! I'll have to go out and get that book so that I don't have to try and look up stuff every time I need it!! Link to comment
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