The Complete Guide to the Basic Principles of Classical Ballet (PDF Format)

Physical Copies

: The standard English translation is published by Dover Publications and often available at retailers like Amazon .

Imagine a heavy string dropping from the center of your ear, through your shoulder, hip, ankle, and ending at the ball of your foot. That is your plumb line.

Turnout is the most distinctive physical principle of classical ballet. It is the outward rotation of the legs from the hip joints, causing the knees and toes to face away from each other (ideally 180 degrees when standing flat).

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Your arms (port de bras) should not flap or fling. They should move through the water—soft, sustained, and deliberate. The head (épaulement) should arrive 1/10th of a second after the body, creating a finishing “snap” of focus.

Turnout

: Emphasized as a rotation from the hips, not the knees, to create a stable base.