A plié is arguably the most fundamental movement in ballet. If you think about it, almost every movement in ballet is a variation of a plié – a fondu is a variation of a plie, a single sauté is a variation of a plié … but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
What is a Plié?
Plié (pronounced plee-yay) is a french term for ‘bent’ or ‘bending’, and in ballet it translates to ‘bending of the knees’. While bending and stretching the knees doesn’t seem so hard, mastering a good plié is crucial in classical training. Pliés are a powering movement that help protect the body from injury. The elasticity the movement demands from the muscles not only warm up the body for more powerful movement, but also prepare the legs for soft landings and shock absorption. A good plié starts and ends almost all ballet steps — it’s a must for the takeoff and landing of every good jump and the initiation of nearly every turn.
There are two principal pliés:
A demi plié and a grand plié.
Demi plié, a half bend : the dancer bends their knees as far as they can without letting their heels peel off the floor
Grande plié, a full bend : the dancer passes through a demi plié and keeps bending their knees till their heels rise off the ground and their thighs are horizontal (except in 2nd position where the heels remain on the ground)
How to do a Demi Plié?
Begin in 1st position.
Turn out your legs from the hip joints, like a butterfly opens its wings, with your knees tracking over your toes.
Align your pelvis so that it feels like your tailbone is pointing straight down between your heels.
Stack your shoulders over your hips and soften your ribcage.
Keep the weight of your body evenly distributed on both feet, and the crown of your head reaching toward the sky.
Bend as deeply as possible while keeping your heels on the floor. Drawing your knees away from each other without letting it change your posture or alignment.
Lengthen your torso. Imagine your whole spine growing toward the ceiling as you bend, creating space between each vertebrae.
To straighten the legs, press with your whole foot and legs as if you are pushing the floor away from you. Squeeze your inner thighs as they stretch.
Once you’re comfortable with the basics of doing a plié in first position, try doing it in the other 4 positions.
How to do a Grand Plié?
Begin in 1st position.
Bend the knees to the side, creating a diamond shape, and coming into your deepest demi plié.
From there, keep bending and drawing your knees to the side such that your heels slowly peel off the floor.
As you bend, ensure your shoulders are still stacked over your hips, and let your spine continue lengthening toward the ceiling.
Stay activated through your leg muscles, do not sink into your hip joints or let your bottom sit on your heels.
To recover, initiate by pressing your heels into the floor, coming back into your demi plié.
Ground your weight through your feet as you slowly straighten your legs.
Stand tall. Breathe deeply.
Well done! And again, once you have mastered the grand plié in first position, try doing it in the other 4 positions. Keep in mind that the grand plié in 2nd position keeps the heels on the floor.
See you in the studios!
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