Spinning: To spot or not to spot

[Valerie]

Hey All!

I am a former competitive skater that used to do jumps, spins, lifts, etc. (for many many years~10 to be exact). In skating, you do NOT spot by turning your head as many dancers do, but rather by using your eyes and timing. That said, I'm now working on my spinning within my dance and am trying to decide if I need to retrain myself to spot by turning my head (specifically on finger spins and FAST spins). I already spot (turning my head) when I spin casually down the slot but find that if I try to turn my head on finger spins or when a guy gets really excited and starts spinning me fast, I get REALLY dizzy. I'd love to hear feedback on this topic. Is there a right or wrong way to spot? I know many femmes teach spotting. Does anyone deduct points for not? Does anyone have any useful tips to alleviate the dizziness? I'm kinda old so it might just be that too ~ LOL (really, vertigo)!

Thank you in advance for your thoughts :)
Valerie Armstrong

[kimmyb]

well, i'm not so good at finger spins yet, but I notice I do remain more stable when I do spot than when I don't. Also, spotting is supposed to alleviate dizziness, but if it has the opposite affect on you... I'd say do what works :)

[Valerie]

I wonder too if center point balance has a significant bearing, meaning, I'm broad shouldered with little hips (so higher center than average), so if my upper body waivers even a tad, or if my arm disconnects ever so slightly, I'm a goner.

[WestieTash]

I was a figure skater for 10 years, and have now coached for 12 years. I'll send you a PM :)

[NZ Monkey]

I think the largest factor in whether or not spotting makes you dizzy is practice. Although there are good physiological reasons why spotting can make you less dizzy, the largest factor in reducing dizziness is simple exposure to the motion. If you’ve had 10 years of practice spinning one way you won’t get nearly as dizzy as someone who hasn’t had that practice, regardless of what technique you’re using. Your brain has already learned how to decode that disturbance in your inner ear. Spotting causes a different disturbance and you’ll have to learn how to decode that one almost from square one.

That said, there may be other reasons why spotting is a good idea beyond just avoiding dizziness. Looking cleaner and keeping an eye on your partner are two things that come immediately to mind, but I’m sure there are other good arguments for it out there as well. Maybe it’d be worth asking your teacher about?