Quarter to Half Depth Plié

Instructions

1. Stand in a wide 2nd position with your feet turned out as much as is comfortable for you.

2. Keep your chest lifted, your core lightly engaged, and your knees tracking in line with your toes.

3. Begin in a petit plié by bending your knees slightly.

4. From there, lower deeper into a grand plié with control.

5. Keep your torso upright as much as possible as you go deeper.

6. Press through your feet to rise back up to a petit plié without fully straightening the knees.

7. Then lower again into a grand plié.

8. Continue moving back and forth between petit plié and grand plié in 2nd position.

9. Keep the movement smooth and controlled for the full set.

Common Compensations

• Do not let your knees roll inward.

• Do not let your chest collapse forward.

• Do not shift all of your weight into the inside edges of your feet.

• Do not straighten the knees all the way unless the exercise specifically calls for it.

• Do not bounce at the bottom of the grand plié.

• Do not force turnout beyond what you can control.

Extra Info

• You should feel this mostly in the quads, glutes, inner thighs, and calves.

• You may also feel the hips and core working to keep your alignment controlled.

• Focus on maintaining even weight through both feet as you move between depths.

• You should not feel sharp pain in the knees, hips, ankles, or low back.