Bikini poses

Also called: front position, front pose

1. Place one foot slightly forward with the weight over the back leg, and let the front knee stay soft rather than locked.
2. Roll the shoulders back and down and lengthen through the crown of the head, so the line starts at the floor and finishes above it.
3. Rest one hand on the hip with the elbow away from the body, which opens a gap at the waist instead of pressing the arm flat.
4. Draw the navel in on a slow exhale and hold it, keeping the ribcage down rather than lifting the chest to fake the taper.
5. Choose a fixed point above the audience and hold your gaze there; the eyes moving is what reads as nerves from the floor.

Also called: first side position

1. Turn a clean ninety degrees on the ball of the foot rather than shuffling round in steps.
2. Cross the far leg slightly behind the near one and rise onto its toe to lengthen the whole leg line.
3. Rotate the hips a few degrees away from the judges while keeping the shoulders squarer, which is what creates the curve through the waist.
4. Let the near arm hang long with a soft bend and the palm turned in, so the arm frames the torso instead of hiding it.
5. Hold the chin level as you land the turn; dropping it shortens the neck and closes the whole line.

Also called: back position, back pose

1. Arrive with the weight on one leg and the other slightly back on its toe, hips angled a few degrees off square.
2. Arch through the lower back to lift the glutes without pushing the ribcage forward and losing the waist.
3. Look back over the shoulder toward the judges rather than turning the whole torso with the head.
4. Let the arms hang long and slightly away from the body so daylight shows at the waist on both sides.
5. Press through the standing leg to hold the hamstring and glute tight for the whole count, not just the first second.

Also called: second side position

1. Mirror the first side turn exactly — the same foot placement, the same hip angle, the same arm.
2. Shift the weight onto the far leg as you land, so the standing side is the one nearest the judges.
3. Keep the near shoulder pulled back as the hips rotate away, holding the taper open through the middle.
4. Let the hand nearest the audience settle just behind the hip line rather than in front of it, which flattens the pose.
5. Finish the turn before the head follows, so the pose is set and still by the time your eyes reach the panel.