Define demi-plié and grand plié and indicate when each is used in Cecchetti Grade 3 barre.

• A. Demi-plié is a small knee bend with heels lifted; grand plié is a full knee bend with thighs lowering toward parallel or beyond; used in Grade 3 barre.
• B. Demi-plié is a small knee bend with heels grounded; grand plié is a full knee bend with thighs lowering toward parallel or beyond; used in Grade 3 barre to warm up turnout and prepare for extensions and jumps.
• C. Demi-plié is a stretch of the hamstrings; grand plié is a releve.
• D. Demi-plié is a roll of the ankle; grand plié is a knee lock.

Answer: (B)

Demi-plié and grand plié are two depths of knee bending that serve different purposes in Cecchetti barre. Demi-plié is a small knee bend with the heels staying grounded, keeping turnout from the hips and the spine long. It’s the warming step that checks alignment, engages the turnout muscles, and prepares the legs for what comes next. Grand plié is a deeper knee bend where the thighs lower toward parallel or beyond, with turnout and a steady spine still in play. This deeper bend builds strength and flexibility and conditions the body for extensions and jumps. In Grade 3 barre, you use demi-plié first to warm up and establish turnout, then move to grand plié to deepen the range and power needed for more demanding work. The other descriptions—calling demi-plié a hamstring stretch, or an ankle roll, or a releve—don’t fit how these terms are used in Cecchetti.