Plié is a bending of the knees — the most fundamental movement in classical ballet, present in nearly every step.
Plié (French: 'bent') is the action of bending the knees outward over the toes while maintaining a turned-out position. It exists in two forms: 'demi-plié', a half-bend that keeps the heels on the floor, and 'grand plié', a full-bend in which the heels rise (except in second position, where they remain down). The plié is the first exercise at the ballet barre and the foundation of nearly every classical step. Every jump begins from a plié and lands in one; every turn is initiated through it. Without a deep, well-articulated plié, no other movement of classical ballet can exist properly. The Vaganova, Cecchetti, and Royal Academy of Dance methods all begin training with this single movement, drilled daily for years, because the entire structural integrity of a dancer's career rests on its quality.