Do’s & Don’ts When Dancing The Switch Turn Step

Dance Insanity Rumba Switch Turn / Spot Turn

You may be asking: what in the bananas is a “Switch Turn”??? If you googled it, you’ll find yourself in a land of electrical wall switches! No No No. Here, we are talking about a turn that is similar to the “Spot Turn” (which has a stroking leg action as you turn), but in the case of the “Switch Turn”, you nail your toe in place while you turn. AND its real awesome-ness is that you get a huge amount of technique in your body by practicing it: Swivels, Walks, Side Walks, Forward Walk Turning, and more! Let’s take a look at the do’s and don’ts for this step… Fasten your dance belts, ladies and gentlemen!

Mistake #1: Bouncing-A-Lot

Practice Tips – Keeping the Body Level:

1. Make sure your knees are straight when you land/ shift weight onto that leg.
2. Start the turn by swiveling on the ball of your foot and keeping your leg straight.

Mistake #2: Collapsing to Outside Edge of the Feet

Practice Tips – Using Inside Edge of Feet:

1. Keep contact with the floor using your big toes at all times (NOT the outside edge of the pinky toes).
2. Keep your turnout throughout: USE these exercises to improve your Latin turnout
3. Make sure you keep working your inner thighs forward/ heels forward, especially during the swivels.

Mistake #3: Moving the Foot on the 2nd Step

Practice Tips – Anchoring the Foot on the 2nd Step:

1. For Switch Turns to the Right: 
As your left leg crosses over, Anchor your Right BIG toe on the floor the whole time.
2. For Switch Turns to the Left:
As your right leg crosses over, Anchor your Left BIG toe on the floor the whole time.

Mistake #4: Keeping Your Weight In Your Heels

Practice Tips – Keeping Weight Over Ball of the Foot:

1. Forward-weighted does not mean that your heels are off the floor.
2. Engage your core by imagining that you are pulling your abs into your spine.
3. Keep your pelvis strong by engaging your glutes. Check out these exercises for glute strengthening!
4. When you slouch, the tendency is to roll your weight into your heels. So, counter that by keeping your spine tall and stretched!

Mistake #5: Indirect Eye Line

Practice Tips – Keeping Eyes Direct:

1. Keep your head stacked directly above your spine and your eyes looking forward.
2. Look in the direction your shoulders are facing.
​3. Keep your eyeline straight ahead.

A Final word about the Switch Turn/ Spot Turn:

The best way to practice is to use our DanceInsanity.com videos, DUH! 😉 But another great way to practice is to video yourself before and after. Are you brave enough? I can only do so much via the web, that’s why we have our Yups and Nopes so that you can train yourself to self correct with this method. Can you say, “I’m improving so fast, it’s INSANE”? Yes you can!

Of course, there’s also: foot timing, hip action, hand styling, arm styling, face styling, using your seventh chakra to levitate seven inches! (pre-requisite: 20 million hours of meditation)  – how do you practice those? Drop me a line below and I’ll enlighten you on all your dance needs! 😉 

​PS: Practice this step in Cha Cha & Rumba.

Comments

  • User Avatar
    Emma
    November 4, 2017

    I just LOVE this website, your videos are absolutely amazing and super helpful. I’m sooo happy I found it 🙂 Any other tips or videos coming up on spins and turns?

    • User Avatar
      LiWen Ang
      November 5, 2017

      Hello Emma! Welcome! 🙂
      Funny you should ask about spins and turns.. we actually have that in the works… and we’ll probably put it out sometime in December. If you’d like to know as soon as those videos are available, feel free to join our mailing list or check back on our website regularly. We love getting questions/ feedback, so feel free to ask or connect with us on any of our social media channels. In the meantime, check out these conditioning exercises that are great for building a good foundation for balance/ spin:
      https://www.danceinsanity.com/tutorial/5-exercises-minutes-improve-balance/

    • User Avatar
      LiWen Ang
      September 30, 2018

      Emma, we also recently put up this 3 part spin series videos –
      Top 3 SPINNING TIPS to improve your BALANCE | Spinning Crash Course Part 1 https://youtu.be/VdYBDKG0PpA

      How to dance the Pencil Turn | Spinning Crash Course Part 2
      https://youtu.be/3qmbzZZ6xn0

      How to Spot for faster Spins | Spinning Crash Course Part 3
      https://youtu.be/G4gBq_qh4vI

  • Cozette
    August 25, 2017

    You are amazing, I love your very helpflull moves, I get a chuckle & smile each time I watch them.

    • User Avatar
      LiWen Ang
      August 25, 2017

      Hello Cozette! Thank YOU! We have fun putting these together. 🙂 Any questions, Or any steps you are interested in learning, give a shout! Hope you are doing great!

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