what is a plie

General Description of the Movement A pile is a conditioning exercise that is used primarily to strengthen the knee joint through repetition of flexion and extension. Flexion of the knee is accomplished by an eccentric contraction of the quadriceps muscles and extension is accomplished by the concentric contraction of the quadriceps muscles. Through proper training, the knee, which is a hinge joint, is able to lower the entire weight of the dancer’s body remaining …showed first 75 words of 346 total…

…showed last 75 words of 346 total…the elbow, wrists slightly flexed and the fingers in the extended position. A properly executed pile begins and ends with outward rotation of the leg, causing the knee to press sideways. The first initiation of the movement is the outward rotation of the leg that is caused by the rotation of the femur. The head of the femur that inserts inside the acetabulum is a ball and socket joint which enables the leg to rotate.