Could someone please take a GOOD look at a landing from a big jump ? NO, you don't bend your knees BEFORE landing, because the joint's movement is what absorbs the impact and deflects it towards the whole body, if your knees are already at almost maximum bend then there is not much movement and you may either break your ankle's tendons or knees due to a higher tension than supported ! Try to jump, demi-plié IN THE AIR, and land in that position ! You'll get hurt ! Plié is MOVEMENT, not POSITION, you need to LAND soft and smoothly, the knees start bending at the point of contact with the floor, not before, not after, right at that time, to ensure maximum absortion of the impact; on pointe MANY dancers around the world seem to be trained to bend the knees even before going through demi-pointe, some even in very small jumps, the thing is their feet are so strong they can manage those small landings easily, but please, take a look at a BIG jump, and you'll see you CAN'T bend your knees too much time before the landing ! You'll get hurt ! Also, bending so much the knees before going down pointe and jumps takes too much time, it's not needed, does not train the feet as much, etc., you're better of doing a small demi-plié and going up again, or doing a very nice, slow, smooth and deep demi-plié to finish (as it always should be in the end of a sequence).
Very useful information.
Could someone please take a GOOD look at a landing from a big jump ? NO, you don't bend your knees BEFORE landing, because the joint's movement is what absorbs the impact and deflects it towards the whole body, if your knees are already at almost maximum bend then there is not much movement and you may either break your ankle's tendons or knees due to a higher tension than supported ! Try to jump, demi-plié IN THE AIR, and land in that position ! You'll get hurt ! Plié is MOVEMENT, not POSITION, you need to LAND soft and smoothly, the knees start bending at the point of contact with the floor, not before, not after, right at that time, to ensure maximum absortion of the impact; on pointe MANY dancers around the world seem to be trained to bend the knees even before going through demi-pointe, some even in very small jumps, the thing is their feet are so strong they can manage those small landings easily, but please, take a look at a BIG jump, and you'll see you CAN'T bend your knees too much time before the landing ! You'll get hurt ! Also, bending so much the knees before going down pointe and jumps takes too much time, it's not needed, does not train the feet as much, etc., you're better of doing a small demi-plié and going up again, or doing a very nice, slow, smooth and deep demi-plié to finish (as it always should be in the end of a sequence).