Positions/Plate II
Wait
Also called: At ease, Parade rest, hands behind the back
Standing, feet apart, hands joined behind your back, head upright: the stance of someone waiting for what comes next.
How to take it
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, your weight spread over both legs, knees soft. Join your hands behind your back, at the small of your back: one palm resting in the other, or one hand holding the opposite wrist. Your shoulders drop and open a little. Your head stays upright, chin level, eyes ahead of you or on the floor, depending on what you have agreed.
What it says
It is the military “at ease”: less stiff than attention, but you stay in your place. It says that you are waiting, without impatience, for an order or for the end of the position. Simple and discreet, it is often the first one offered to someone who is starting out.
Variants
- Each hand holds the opposite elbow behind your back, if your shoulders accept it without pain.
- Eyes lowered to the floor, two steps in front of you.
- Seated on the edge of a chair, back straight, hands joined behind your back, when standing becomes tiring.
The call“Wait.”