Turn On The Spot (While Travelling)

In Scottish Country Dancing, Turn on the spot (while travelling) is not a Figure in its own right; the term is used as a qualifier of a Figure; it defines the movement of a single Dancer though usually nore than one will perform it simultaneously. It often applies at the beginning or end of a Figure, in order to Face the Dancer correctly for whatever is to follow, and sometimes occurs within the Figure.

Turn on the spot halfway is the commonest form. It is an essential part of the beginning of the Figure, Cast (in the basic two-bar form), when Starting from a Standing place Facing In, in either a Longwise or a Circular set. It is particularly relevant at the end of a Figure which requires the Polite turn, such as Rights and lefts or a Turn preceding the transition to Promenade hold or to Allemande hold.

Turn on the spot halfway also occurs at the transition between Figures such as Hands round to the left and Chase anticlockwise as in bars 25-32 of Major Ian Stewart; this rather abrupt form is sometimes known as Pivot or even "Leg over". A fuller Turn on the spot occurs in the Strathspey, Seagreen, where Hands round to the left is followed by Chase clockwise.

Turn on the spot one quarter is especially important for the Men throughout Allemande, Promenade round and The knot.

See also Turn on the spot (while setting), a Figure which uses Setting steps.

Here are examples of those Scottish Country Dances for which we have instructions on this site and in which the term, Turn on the spot (while travelling), either appears explicitly or is implied; note that for a common term these will be a small selection; for a rare term, these may be all that exist:

Anchors Aweigh
Anniversary Medley
Archie's Clootie Dumpling
Sarona

Links To Pages Related To 'Turning'

Figures