Turn (dance and gymnastics)

In dance and gymnastics, a turn is a rotation of the body about the vertical axis. It is usually a complete rotation of the body, although quarter (90°) and half (180°) turns are possible for some types of turns. Multiple, consecutive turns are typically named according to the number of 360° rotations (e.g., ''double'' or ''triple'' turn).

There are many types of turns, which are differentiated by a number of factors. The performer may be supported by one or both legs or be airborne during a turn. When supported by one leg, that leg is known as the ''supporting'' leg and the other as the ''free'', ''raised'', or ''working'' leg. During airborne turns, the first leg to leave the floor is the ''leading'' leg. Trunk, arm and head positions can vary, and in turns with one supporting leg, the free leg may be straight or bent. Turns can begin in various ways as well. For example, ballet turns may begin by rising to ''relevé'' (supported on the ball of the foot) or by stepping directly onto relevé.

Some turns can be executed in either of two directions. In ballet, a turn in the direction of the raised leg is said to be ''en dehors'' whereas a turn in the opposite direction is ''en dedans''. In ballroom dancing, a ''natural turn'' is a clockwise revolution of dance partners around each other, and its mirrored counterpart is the counter-clockwise ''reverse turn''.

In some dance genres and dance notation systems (e.g., Labanotation), a turn in which the performer rotates without traveling is known as a pivot. Pivots may be performed on one or on both feet; the latter is sometimes called a ''twist turn''. Provided by Wikipedia