What does “Spotting” mean?
A technique used during turns. The dancer chooses a reference point (such as their partner or a distant point along the line of travel) and focuses on it as long as possible. When during the turn it is no longer possible to see it, the head flips as fast as possible to "spot" the reference point again. This technique guides the body during the turn, makes it easier to determine when to stop turning, and helps prevent dizziness. It must be done by rotating the head as close to perfectly in the horizontal plane as possible so as not to defeat the purpose of minimizing dizziness in those so predisposed. The most common spotting is 180° to and away from one's partner, or the line of dance (LOD) and a full 360° from the original spot, be it LOD, outside line of dance (OLOD), or toward or away from one's partner, a wall for example. It can be done in apart/free position or less frequently in closed position.
Definition adapted from Glossary of partner dance terms on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Nearby terms
Side lead
A body position or action during a step, sometimes also called same side lead . Side-leadi…
Slot
In slotted dances , the dance slot is an imaginary narrow rectangle along which the follow…
Slotted dance
A dance style in which the couple's movements are generally confined to a slot . The most …
Spot dance
A dance that is generally danced in a restricted area of the dance floor. Examples are rum…
Standard
See International Standard…
Standing foot
Same as Supporting foot .…
Stealing the lead
In social dancing strongly reliant on leading and following, stealing the lead means tempo…
Step
In a strict sense, a step , or a footstep , is a single move of one foot, usually involvin…