demi-plié

[ dem-ee-plee-ey; French duh-mee-plee-ey ]

noun

, Ballet.

, plural dem·i-pli·és [dem-ee-plee-, eyz, d, uh, -mee-plee-, ey].

1. a movement done in any of the five positions, in which the dancer bends the knees halfway, keeping the heels securely on the ground.

Word History and Origins

Origin of demi-plié¹

< French: literally, half-plié; demi-, plié ( def )

Example Sentences

With this, he assumed the “first” position and did a demi-plié, the most basic movement there is in ballet.

From Slate

Perhaps he could pass a few of his secrets to Berlanga, who is a potential danseur noble with everything going for him except a convincing demi-plié.

From The Guardian

"The basic posture of Bharatnatyam is where you turn out your legs and sit in a demi-plie in first 'ballet feet' position," says Mohan, who won television talent show Dance India Dance.

From BBC