Ballet Dictionary: Lunge in 4th Position, Arms in 3rd Arabesque
Photo by Mark Sumaylo • Text by Abigail Oliveiro
Step: Lunge in 4th Position, Arms in 3rd Arabesque
How: 4th position with the feet is where both feet are turned out with one foot a little further in front of the other. The toe of the front foot is in line with the heel of the back foot and the heel of the front foot is in line with the toe of the back foot. The distance between the front and back foot is approximately one foot apart. This 4th position however is done in a lunge. So it is wider than the usual 4th position with the front knee bent. This is most commonly seen as an end to a step like a pirouette.
The arms demonstrated are in 3rd Arabesque. A 3rd Arabesque is where the dancer has the arm on the opposite side of the supporting leg (in this case, the leg in front) extended in front and the other arm to the side. Although the arms for a 2nd and 3rd Arabesque are identical in Vaganova, what differentiates them is that a 3rd arabesque is done in a croisé position – meaning, that the position of the body and legs are crossed from the audience.
Dancer: John Carl Concepcion, Ballet Manila 2
Location: Harbour Square, Pasay
