Posing little kiddos and beginner dancers can be both fun and easy if done correctly. Below are 12 great beginner poses for ballet.
The two key elements you should focus on are:
- Arm position
- Feet position
By just simply repositioning the arms and feet you can quickly and easily create new poses.
For more poses, you can grab your FREE copy of the dance pose guide.
1 – First Position
When I ask the dancer to get in first position I always tell them “to kiss the heals” or “pizza pie”.
This helps them reference to put feet in a triangle position.
For the arms, I ask them to “hold their ball”. you want to make sure arms are rounded and elbows are not locked. You can either have them place arms in front or have them lower, closer to the outfit.
2 – Hands-on Hip | Pointed Toe
This pose is an easy transition from first position. Just ask the dancer to point their toe (either direction).
You want to make sure the toe is not sickled (scrunched up) and that it’s pointed toward the floor.
3 – Hand Up | Crossed Pointed Toe
With this position, you would want the dancer to get in first position facing left or right.
From there have them point one toe out, that is closest to the camera. Then position one hand on hip with one arm up (bent elbow and curved hand).
4 – Laying Down
This is always a favorite with parents. I always tell the child to lay down on their tummy and then cross ankles.
You can either have them lock their arms for support on the ground, as seen in the image below, or you can have them put both hands under chin.
5 – Laying Down with One Arm – Support
This pose is down the same way as the last put instead of having both arms down having the child rest there head on one hand (fist)
6 – Head Rested on Stool
If you have a prop or stool you can use to get a nice close up of the dancer. Have them cross their arms and then rest head on arms.
7 – Praying / Sleeping Hands
This is another favorite for parents. Just have the dancer sit on their knees and ask them (or show) them praying hands.
Then have them rest next to the cheek with a smile. This also works well with them looking down or closing eyes
8 – Sitting With One Leg Over Holding
To start with the position ask the dancer to sit “criss-cross apple sauce”. Then have them lift one leg up and hold with both hands.
9 – Tip Toe With Stool
Again, if you are using a prop or stool this is a great pose to show the entire outfit, that is classic.
Just have them stand next to stool, with hands placed on top, then ask them to stand as hi as they can on their toes.
10 – Crossed Pointed Toe Holding Dress
This pose is the same as above but with a simple modification by just having the dancer hold out their dress.
11 – First Position | One Arm Up and One Forward
Have the dancer in first position and then have them hold ball. Ask them to raise one arm and make sure elbows and hands are bent.
12 – Feet in First Position With Both Arms Up
You can tell in this picture that both heals are not completely together.
This is not the proper feet position and wanted to show you the difference. The only variation is to have them bring both arms up (in a ball) over their head. You want to make sure their face is not covered by their arms.
I hope you enjoyed the article on 12 easy ballet poses for beginners! Please feel free to leave me a comment below if you did or if you have any lingering questions!
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