Again, though, if the only reason we can come up with for keeping grand plies in some positions, or keeping them at the beginning of class is "tradition," is that a valid reason? Football coaches for decades used to deny water to the players during long periods of practice. Wrestlers and boxers used to try to make weight by doing calisthenics in super heated rooms while wearing rubber suits. Bodybuilders used to have the motto, "no pain, no gain." These were all "traditions."

I think the support for at the very least moving grand plies in 1st, 4th, and 5th to a time later in the barre is compelling. In fact, I taught advanced class tonight and we never got around to doing grand plies in these positions at all. There was no noticeable difference in the dancers' performance.

And I would argue that common sense is to take modern scientific findings into account, and discarding outmoded practices, if there is any question at all as to whether they can be done by the majority of participants, safely and effectively, with minimal risk of injury. To ingnore new information, and cling to exercises that were developed when medical science still consisted of bleedings and bodily humors, is not common sense, but nonsense.

Grand plies do target different muscle groups than demi plies, that is true. That those muscles also need to be warmed up is also true. However, once one releases the heels tin 1st, 4th, or 5th, the stretch on the Achilles tendon is actually decreased considerably, as once the heels have left the floor the kinetic chain along the back of the leg becomes a more open rather than a closed chain- the gastrocnemius shortens rather than lengthens further when the heels are released. It has also been shown that grand plies in crossed positions (4th and 5th, probably 4th in particular) also place external rotational force on the knee joint that may be medically considered unacceptably high in all but the most perfectly turned out and perfectly aligned dancers.

My contention is that there are other exercises that do a better job of warming up the thighs, hips, and legs than grand plies in these positions, without the association external rotative force on the knee joint, and the high stress this places on the ACL and MCL. I do include grand plies in 4th in my floor barre, as well as other exercises and stretches which I believe allow the students to safely and gently work toward their maximum (natural) turnout. Of course, as we now know, everyone has a different degree of natural turnout, and any attempt to exceed one's natural turnout will eventually damage the knees and or hips. Many young dancers have had their knees and hips ruined by destructive practices intended to "increase their turnout."

I have yet to find a study that shows, scientifically, that the benefits of doing grand plies in these positions outweighs the risks- if anyone knows of one, I would truly like to read it. Conversely, there are several studies I have found or am tracking down that suggest the opposite, and in my next post I will provide those links..

if there is a question that the risks may outweigh the benefits, than I for one will abandon blind faith in ballet dogma, and seek further information.

Excellent point about allowing the weight to drop between the heels. This creates sudden severe tension on the patellofemoral ligament, and along with forced turnout, is one of the most common errors I see at the barre.