Turn On The Spot (While Setting)

In Scottish Country Dancing, the Figure, Turn on the spot (while setting), sometimes called "Turn about", is a convenient modification of Setting On the spot which prepares the Dancer to Face in the correct Direction for the succeeding Figure.

One or more Dancers, as individuals, rotate by the specified amount and in the specified Direction while Setting On the spot; the Direction of rotation is often expressed as Pull right shoulder back or Pull left shoulder back rather than clockwise or anticlockwise. If not otherwise specified, a full Turn of 360° and clockwise rotation are implied.

This Figure is an essential element of many Figures such as Set and rotate, Set and link and all forms of Poussette.

The term is also used to qualify some Figures which use a Travelling Step (see Turn on the spot (while travelling)).

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 setting), 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:

Brechin Lassies
Castle Douglas
Chaperons
Langholm Fair
White Heather Jig

Links To Pages Related To 'Setting'

Figures

Setting

Balancing
Balance (In Line)
Crown Triangles
Double Hello-Goodbye Setting
Double Triangles
Hello-Goodbye Poussette
Hello-Goodbye Setting
Inverted Double Triangles
Set
Set Advancing
Set Advancing And Retire
Set In Line
Set On The Side (Line)s
Set To First Corners
Set To Second Corners
Set Twice
Set Up And Down
Turn On The Spot (While Setting)