Quatrième

Quatrième is simply the French word for “fourth,” and in ballet it refers to the fourth position. You will hear it as part of longer phrases that place a leg or arm in that fourth position rather than as a command on its own.

Ballet counts its main positions of the feet from first through fifth, and quatrième names the fourth of these. In the feet, fourth position has one foot placed in front of the other with a gap between them, both turned out. Because it opens the feet apart front to back, fourth position is the usual launching spot for many pirouettes, giving the dancer a stable base to push from.

You may also meet the word in directions such as quatrième devant (fourth in front) and quatrième derrière (fourth behind), which describe extending a leg to the fourth position toward the front or the back. Knowing that quatrième means fourth makes all of these instantly clear.