Ballet Tips (Pliés and ballet positions of the feet)

Hello readers,

Who is happy it's the weekend? I know I definitely am! After a long week of work, I think it's safe to say I can catch my breath- kids were crazy this week!

Anyway, let's proceed to the second dance move I would like to break down for you, the plié. This is another basic ballet step, and a very important one as it helps a dancer stay grounded and prevent injuries in more complex moves by using the right muscles.

Plié means "to bend". There are two types of pliés, the demi-plié and the grand-plié. A demi-plié is basically a half plié where your not bending all the way down and feet stay grounded. A grand- plié is when you bend all the way down and your feet are slightly risen except in second position. NEVER, raise your toes in second position. Both feet should always be staying flat on the ground. I will briefly go over the positions of the feet down below. The first thing to think of when doing a plié in any position, is using your turnout muscles and pushing into the ground. You should feel your inner thigh muscles and the groin muscle working as you bend down. Think of the knees going over your big toe.

Often, young dancers or beginner dancers will have the tendency to stick out their butt. This is because they have not yet learned to engage their whole body and muscles. Picture the following: you have a bowl full of water or full of soup around your torso. This is an example my first dance teacher used for me and her other dance students. You DO NOT want to spill the water or soup on the floor! In order to achieve this, you should think of pulling up to go down, squeezing your tummy in and bringing your butt underneath you. Use your core muscles.

Now, there are five principal positions of the feet. Some of you may be familiar, some of you a little less. But I will explain anyway. There is also sixth position which is simply parallel feet but it is not as often used as the first, second, third, fourth and fifth position in ballet. Above, you can see a picture of the five positions of ballet if you want a visual example. In first position the feet are simply spread open from the heels, toes facing outwards. In second position, separate the feet about a foot or two from each other with toes still facing outwards. In third position, close in the feet and whichever foot is in front should be touching the middle of the back foot at the heel. In fourth position, the feet are now a foot apart with the front heel in alignment with the back toes. And finally, in fifth position the feet are closed together once again, this time with the front heel touching the back toe. Toes should always be facing outwards in any position and turnout should always be kept in check. The only position you do not need to do this is sixth position since both feet are parallel.

I hope you found this second post of Ballet Tips on pliés interesting and helpful. Remember, if there is anything I could add, please feel free to let me know and I will gladly add it! And remember to watch my Ballet Tips videos in my Instagram! The one for plié will be posted tonight. Thank you and have a nice weekend!

Regards,
Cara