法文意为“脚的五个位置”（五位脚）。古典芭蕾中脚的基本位置共有五个，每一个步伐或动作都以这五个位置之一作为开始与结束。这五个位置由皮埃尔·博尚（Pierre Beauchamp）确立——他于 1671 至 1687 年间担任法国皇家音乐舞蹈学院（Académie Royale de Musique et de Danse）的芭蕾大师（maître de ballet）。（1）第一位（Première position）：两脚站成一条直线，脚跟相触。（2）第二位（Seconde position）：两脚同在一条直线上，但两脚跟之间相距约一只脚的长度。（3）第三位（Troisième position）：一脚在前、一脚在后，前脚的脚跟抵住另一脚的中部（脚心处）。（4）第四位（Quatrième position）：双脚的摆放与第三位相似，两脚平行、相距一只脚的长度。这是古典式第四位；但第四位也可以按第一位的脚型来做，仅以一只脚的距离将两脚分开。前者称为 quatrième position croisée（交叉式第四位），后者称为 quatrième position ouverte（开放式第四位）。如今，quatrième position croisée 是双脚按第五位的脚型交叉摆放、平行相距一只脚的长度，而不再按第三位的脚型。（5）第五位（Cinquième position）：按切凯蒂（Cecchetti）教学法，双脚交叉，使大脚趾的第一关节自任一脚跟旁露出；而法兰西学派与俄罗斯学派则要求双脚完全交叉，前脚的脚跟抵住后脚的脚尖，后脚的脚跟亦抵住前脚的脚尖。
Five positions of the feet. There are five basic positions of the feet in classical ballet, and every step or movement is begun and ended in one or another of these positions, which were established by Pierre Beauchamp, maître de ballet of the Académie Royale de Musique et de Danse from 1671 to 1687. First position (Première position): In this position the feet form one line, heels touching one another. Second position (Seconde position): The feet are on the same line but with a distance of about one foot between the heels. Third position (Troisième position): In the third position one foot is in front of the other, heels touching the middle of the other foot. Fourth position (Quatrième position): In the fourth position the placement of the feet is similar to that in the third position, the feet being parallel and separated by the length of one foot. This is the classical fourth position but it may also be done with the feet in the first position, only separated by the space of one foot. The former is known as quatrième position croisée (crossed fourth position), while the latter is called quatrième position ouverte (open fourth position). Today quatrième position croisée is done with the feet placed as in the fifth position, parallel and separated by the length of one foot, instead of the third position. Fifth position (Cinquième position): In the fifth position, Cecchetti method, the feet are crossed so that the first joint of the big toe shows beyond either heel. In the French and Russian Schools the feet are completely crossed so that the heel of the front foot touches the toe of the back foot and vice versa.