We have all been taught to “spot” when we turn. But, do you know why? or how?
Spotting does a couple of things for us. One, It fools the brain into thinking that the body is not turning at all; therefore, we get less dizzy. Two, it allows our minds to establish where we are in space. This is especially important when we are traveling with turns.
Here are the basics for spotting. There are other techniques for more advanced types of turns, but this is a great starting point.
How to spot.
1) Stand up straight, with your neck long (but relaxed) and choose something at eye level to look at or “spot.”. Try to choose something that is easy to see, and not to large. You want to always bring your focus back to a single point if possible.
2) Keeping your head level, begin to turn your body underneath your head. Do not let your eyes drift from your object of focus.
3) When your body has turned so much that you can no longer look at your object without tilting your head, quickly turn your head around to look at your object again. It will be ahead of your body at this point so your body will have to keep turning to catch up.
Be sure not to tilt your head at all. This will increase your chances of getting dizzy. Also, as you turn your head around, be sure to do it quickly and defocus your eyes so that you do not see the room spinning around!
Spotting can be done with any kind of turn. When using it with traveling turns, focus on a place in the direction you want to travel or end up. The body’s tendency is to follow the eyes.
Tags: Dance Tips
