Expert: Dianne M. Buxton - 11/20/2011

Question
I am taking an Anatomy and Kinesiology class right now. I will be presenting about the muscles used during a plie. I was wondering if you could give me a detailed description of the muscles associated with a plie. Also what muscles are activated during a grand plie as well? This is all in first position.
Thank you!

Answer
  "I am taking an Anatomy and Kinesiology class right now. I will be presenting about the muscles used during a plie. I was wondering if you could give me a detailed description of the muscles associated with a plie. Also what muscles are activated during a grand plie as well? This is all in first position.
Thank you!"

Hi Marisa! I have written over three hundred articles about ballet posture, turnout, ballet movements and ballet positions, but I have not cataloged them by muscle names or muscle group names. However, maybe the following will help you.

A dancer stands in a neutral spine position, legs rotated from the hips and probably straining at the knee joint to attain the ballet foot position.

When the dancer executes a demi plie, she/he bends at the knees, lowering the body position, yet pulling up away from it with the core muscles. The dancer IMAGINES an elongation of the whole body. This creates the elongation and quality in the elasticity of the movement. The calf muscles relax, the turnout muscles (Piriformis, rotator muscles under the Gluts) hold, and the foot muscles relax on the floor. The dancer arrives at the lowest depth of the demi plie possible, calf muscles relaxed, yet heels still in contact with the floor.

The Adductor muscles help hold the turnout position by pressing down and out - elongating. The Quads relax. The Gluteus Maximus muscles support the turnout power, in the movement, but do not clench to their full capacity.

I am "just" a ballet teacher. I have probably not named all the muscles engaged in this movement. Ballet is quality plus mechanics.

In the grande plie, when the heels release from the floor, the dancer descends. Nothing really changes in exertion, except for the quads. According to the musical timing, the quads control the descent and BEFORE reaching the point where the hip and thigh muscles must relax, the dancer starts pressing down, reversing the motion.

Now the quads work harder, the ankle and foot muscles press down, while the core muscles exert to retain the posture. The Piriformis and supporting Gluts hold the postural position. The dancer hopes to keep the neck, shoulder and arm muscles relaxed during this movement, but often they kick in and tense up.

I hope this has described the movement sufficiently for you to assign the muscles involved. All the best! Dianne