I did a search on Google for "ballet foot positions" and guess what the number one hit was? A page on this site. Go to https://www.ballroomdancers.com/Technique/foot_positions.htm for a description of them. These are used (I assume) to allow quick and easy descriptions of certain commonly used foot positions so they are useful to know. I never remember what they are though. I should sketch them in to my technique books for reference or something.

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James Marshall
marshall@astro.umd.edu
http://www.astro.umd.edu/~marshall

Yikes! I have to update that page (especially the pictures).

Here's a quick description:

1st pos = Feet together.
2nd pos = Feet apart, side-by-side
(as if to have taken a side step)
4th pos = Feet apart, one in front of the other
(as if to have taken a fwd or back walk)

The above three positons are the most obvious and common in ballroom dancing. Third and fifth position are more applicable to ballet than to ballroom, but ballroom dancers do occasionally refer to them (in somewhat of a contrived fashion).

3rd pos = Feet together, heel of one to instep of other.
5th pos = Feet together, heel of one to toe of other.

To be honest, I'm not a big fan of using the 5 foot positions when describing ballroom movements. It's kind of like discussing the anatomy of a car engine using only the Latin language. You can probably do it, but why would you? It's unnecessarily difficult, and there are other languages better suited for the job.

The 5 foot positions are ideal for the description of ballet because they were created for exactly that purpose. Ballroom dancing has evolved a language of its own, and it works much better for describing ballroom movements and positions. So while perhaps it's not a bad idea to know the ballet positions so that you are prepared when someone speaks that language, in general I would suggest using ballroom language to describe ballroom dancing.

Incidentally, the only reason I used ballet foot positions in my message below is because I was quoting someone else. It just so happens that this person used both the ballet foot positions AND ballroom language to describe the steps, so you should be able to figure it out no matter which language you speak.

Regards,
Jonathan

interesting choice but the dance did not reflect the music of the Bosa Nova. I learned some 25 years ago. The dance did reflect Jonathan's description with a smooth latin flavor. It moved on becuase it takes a bit of skill to be as patient as the version I learned. The Bosa Nova was a series of 5 slow steps forward followed by two quick ones to side then you reversed for the next 5 steps with two quick to the side with all variations and patterns using this rhythm. This made it difficult to continue in li ne of dance. Like many dances of past they reflected a different style in the "culture" of the day when the rat pack was in its heyday. and was best done in a smoking jacket and cocktail dress with bufont hairdo for best effect. j

jo