What is a plié?
It’s a bended knee exercise usually done at the barre. It’s also used in jumps and turns to absorb shock and prevent injuries in the knees. It’s one of the first moves that you’ll learn, but you’ll have time to perfect it as you advance your technique. You can do a plié from all 5 ballet positions (first position, second position, third position, fourth position, and fifth position). A plié is one of the 7 basic dance movements in the Cecchetti method.
What are the 2 different types of a plié?
A demi-plié is a bend in the knees with your heels on the ground. You won’t bend down as far in a demi-plié, and you might need to work a little more on your balance and control. This is usually the first type of plié that you’ll learn.
A grand-plié is a bend in the knees with your heels off the ground. In this plié, you’ll bend down as far as you can go while keeping your spine straight and your backside tucked. It can take a little more strength and muscle to control the plié all the way back up.
How do you do a demi-plié?
Start in first position and bend with your knees. Turn out in first position using your hip joint. Start by bending your knees just slightly, keeping your upper body straight with your shoulders down. Don’t stick your backside out or adjust your hips—simply lower at the knees while keeping the rest of your body straight.
Keep your heels planted. Stop bending your knees when they extend just over your toes. If you feel your heels starting to come off the ground, stop bending.
Rise slowly and gracefully back into first position. Push your weight straight down into the floor with your legs and feet to push yourself back up. Continue keeping your shoulders down, head up, and bottom tucked during the upward movement. Continue rising until your thighs and knees are back together in your starting position.
How do you do a grand-plié?
Bend with your knees as you lift your heels off the ground. Since you are bending further down at the knees in a grand-plié, your heels will naturally come off the ground. Even though the weight shifts to the forward parts of your feet entirely, your upper body should be perfectly straight, meaning your center of gravity should still feel as though you are standing with legs straight.
Continue bending your knees until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Once your heels come off the ground, keep bending your knees even lower. Continue lowering as far as you can until your thighs are nearly horizontal and your knees are almost fully bent.
Rise back to first position. Engage your quads and glutes to push your body back upwards into your starting position. When rising, use your feet and legs rather than simply the knees to straighten. Push down with your raised heels to reconnect them with the floor as soon as possible in the rising motion.
Which muscles do you use in a plié?
Your abs keep your spine and upper body straight. It’s important not to hunch over or bend your spine as you lower down. You can control your movements by engaging your core and your abs to lock your spine into place.
Your legs and glutes control your downward and upward motion. As you bend down, engage, your glutes, quads, and hamstrings to slow your movement. When you rise up, engage your glutes, quads, and hamstrings again to push yourself up slowly without jerking your body around.
Which stretches help with a plié?
Do calf stretches for a deeper plié. Place your hands on a wall or the barre and stick one foot out about 12 in (30 cm) behind you. Bend your front knee and push your back heel down onto the floor until you feel a stretch in your calf, then hold it for about 30 seconds. Repeat this on the other leg.
Stretch your inner thighs with a butterfly stretch. Sit down on the ground and pull your heels in toward yourself, letting your knees splay outward to create a diamond shape with your legs. Rest your elbows on your knees and slowly lean forward until you feel a stretch in your inner thighs. Hold the position for 30 seconds to 1 minute at a time.
Comments
0 comment