200
Selective Muscle Focus in the Wall Plié
Stand in second position turned out with the upper back (at the level
of the shoulder blades) and posterior side of the sacrum against
the wall, while the heels are a few inches away from the wall in line
with the greater trochanter.- Emphasizing use of the DOR muscles. Place the fingertips
deep, just lateral to the ischial tuberosities at the sides of the base
of the buttocks. Perform a demi-plié, and at the bottom of the plié pur-
posely let the knees drop inside the feet (A). Then, while maintaining
the same depth of plié, use the low DOR muscles located under your
fingertips to externally rotate the femur at the hip joint and pull the
knees back over the feet (B). Repeat this motion of letting the knees
fall in and pulling them back out several times until easy conscious
control of the DOR is established. Next, perform a second-position
grand plié slowly, focusing on using the DOR to maintain hip external
rotation and guide the knees as directly side as possible on both the
down- and up-phase of the plié. Study of an anatomical model of the
22 hip muscles showed a 1.5-centimeter or more decrease in length
of the estimated line of pull in the gluteus maximus, hamstrings,
and all 6 deep outward rotators when replicating this second-posi-
tion plié performed correctly with the “knees side” versus “dropped
forward” (Clippinger-Robertson, 1984). However, when normalizing
this change in the axial line of pull of these muscles relative to their
“length” when standing in second position, a 54% change was seen
in the quadratus femoris, 52% in the gemellus inferior, and 46% in the
gemellus superior compared to much smaller percentage changes
in other muscles, such as 12% for the gluteus maximus and 5% for
the hamstrings. This dramatic percentage change in length in these
rotator muscles provides indirect evidence for their vital role in
establishing and maintaining appropriate positioning of the greater
trochanter for optimal turnout. - Emphasizing use of the inner thigh muscles. Place the hands
on the insides of the thighs. On the up-phase of the plié, focus on rotating the thighs at the hip joint,
emphasizing the DOR and at the same time pulling the “inner thighs together and up” (concentric
contraction of the hip adductors). Gently squeeze your “inner thighs” together and against your hands
to feel the hip adductors contracting under your fingers, and try to gain better control of activation
of these muscles. On the down-phase of the plié, focus on externally rotating the thighs at the hip
joint and then “reaching the knees as far to the side as possible” with the pelvis going straight down
toward the floor (eccentric contraction of the hip adductors). - Influencing muscle use by forward trunk inclination. Lean the trunk forward by flexing at the hip,
and notice any change in the muscles being used. Some dancers feel greater use of the quadriceps
in this position and have difficulty utilizing the hip adductors. Maintaining a vertical (neutral) position
of the pelvis can be helpful for utilizing the DOR and hip adductors, at least when one is first learning
to emphasize activation of these muscles. - Applying this muscle focus to class. Step a few inches away from the wall, and repeat the plié,
trying to maintain a vertical pelvis, use of the lower DOR, and use of the hip adductors. To transfer
a new muscle activation emphasis to class, it is often helpful to key in to a kinesthetic sensation or
develop an image that will allow for quick access. For example, if a dancer tends to lean the torso
forward at the base of the plié and excessively use the quadriceps, it may be helpful to think of slid-
ing down the wall as the knees reach to the side. In contrast, if a dancer tends to lose rotation on
the up-phase of the plié, focusing on the back of the leg “wrapping to the inside and lifting up” as the
knees straighten may be helpful.