Turn and Rotation

All our everyday movement involves turns and rotations; they are so familiar to us that we don't think about them.

In Dance we have to be very aware of their definitions and differences

• Turn
• Rotation

🧭 TURN: A Floor-Based Change in Direction

Turn is:

• A change in the dancer’s travel vector (Tvec) between two consecutive steps.
• Measured externally — using the Alignment Compass:
  (e.g., FLOD, Diagonal Wall, Center).
• Anchored to the standing foot, which acts as the pivot base for this directional change.
• Quantified in eighths of a full rotation (⅛ = 45°, ¼ = 90°, etc.)

Dance Application Example

Leader: LF Forward, commence to turn right
→ RF side and slightly back, completing ⅛ turn
→ LF back, facing DW

This is a ⅛ (\(45^o\)) turn to the right — the Tvec changed from DW to DC, measured relative to the floor.

🚫 What Turn Is Not

• Turn is not a twisting action of the body.
• It does not require CBM (though they often occur together).
• It’s a vector reorientation, not an axial body motion.

🔍 Geometric Truth

Imagine plotting your travel path with arrows:

• Arrow A (Step 1) points DW.
• Arrow B (Step 2) points DC.
• The angle between arrows is the turn.
• No twist needed — even a plank on wheels could "turn" this way.
  (Let’s call it the Hoverboard Principle.)

Summary

Turn = Travel Vector change
→ External
→ Floor-relative
→ Not the same as body rotation

🔄 ROTATION: Axial Motion Between Connected Body Segments

Rotation is:

• A change in angular orientation between two connected bones or body segments.
• Internal and anatomical, measured around a joint axis (e.g., spine, hip, knee, shoulder).
• Happens whenever any part of the body moves — even if there is no travel or floor-based turn.

Biomechanical Truth

Every movement involves joint rotation:

• The knee joint rotates the tibia under the femur.
• The hip joint rotates the femur relative to the pelvis.
• The torso rotates around the spine.
• Even the head rotates atop C1/C2 when you look toward your partner.

Rotation is how carbon beings articulate. Without it, we’re mannequins on rollers.

Dance Relevance

• Body rotation shapes figures: think Natural Turn vs. Reverse Turn.
• Controlled torso rotation enables CBM and maintains frame integrity.
• Rotation of the standing leg's femur dictates the poise and balance of the pelvis.

Visual Model

Imagine a pair of scissors opening — that’s rotation at the hinge.
Now imagine standing on one leg and winding your torso —
That’s rotation without turn or travel.

Important Distinction

Summary

Rotation = Internal angular movement
→ Happens constantly
→ Defined by joint articulation
→ Makes CBM, shaping, and styling possible

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