I don't like doing squats with my legs together, that might be your problem right there as your limiting the muscle groups you can use. Try squatting with your feet together than space your feet a tiny bit; notice you can feel your inner thighs 'helping' when your spaced and they're 'closed off' when they're together?
Personally my knees don't like excersizes that wear them out with too much repetition and do better with longer 'holds' than repeated bending. I do have a variation you may try, but its tricky. It won't tire your knees out as much but it will build more total leg strength if thats what your going for. And again, this is just what works for me. I did alot of leg excersizes when I was working up to doing a floorwork backbend.

First, space your feet out a bit(like hip width). Make sure your knees bend straight out over your toes. Sink your upper body down until you feel your heels wanting to come up and hang there for a bit. Then allow your heels to come up and sink down as low as you can go and stay there for a bit. Then reverse and s*l*o*w*l*y come up till your heels are back and hang some more(yo thighs will be on FIRE!) then come back up. This helps improve your balance as well ;) I do like 3 or 5 sets of these. I also do this all over again with my legs wider and my toes pointing out (2nd position in ballet? could be wrong there..) If you want to step it up more, go into releve' before plie's (like up for 8, down for 8, sink for 8, sink to heels for 8, reverse heels for 8, rise to neutral for 8 and repeat) My thighs burn just typing it, lol. Again, knees always over toes and make sure you maintain a BD posture with tucked pelvis.

Or, try this. I'm a floorwork freak so you may not like this, but I think it feels awesome and my knees almost get a massage while doing it. This one you can put your knees together. Kneel on a towel or rolled yoga mat, place your feet however they are most comfortable (I like mine to be flat, tops on the ground) Lean back so your thighs are right above a 45 deg angle then omi(ala interior hip circles) in superslow motion. Don't forget to change directions. To step this one up omi while raising and lowering your level('sinking your hips towards your feet then back up to your knees.)'

Hope that helps and that your knees stop hurting!

Can't take any more classes & maintain my day job - already taking 2 - 3 bd classes a week, plus drum & a workshop a month! The family won't be happy with me if I add anything more! Looking for some exercises I can work on at home or out :-) Looks like there are some good ones posted!

I am working towards being able to do floor work and to go up & down with a sword on my head, and to generally strengthen my legs & get rid of knee pain. I am going to try out Lori's suggestions, plus biking (I have one at home gathering dust). And any others that look like I can do them... :-) I do some yoga at home already - maybe I need to add a few other positions in. Thanks everybody!

I couldn't agree more. I have knee problems which actually started when I began doing Callanetics -- go figure. It was precisely when doing the pelvic tilt in Callanetics, which is done at the same time as a squat, that I started feeling pain.

*Protect your knees.* They're like the back -- until you start to have problems you don't really think about them, but once pain begins, you always have to be careful. I find I can do squats like the ones Leah just described without pain, and it really takes the pressure off of the knees and puts it on the working muscles.

Lunges are also potentially dangerous. I find it ok to do lunges in yoga stretches, but avoid anything too bouncy, since I can't be as careful about the joints.

It's not that I like squats so much as that I see people working with swords go straight down in a squat position, feet together. Also, others drop down & then come back up - a move I see frequently. If you do floor work, you have to get down somehow, then back up without wallowing around (my current choice) or grabbing someone else to get to a standing position :-)

It sounds like squats are not the way to start, but they are definitely my goal.