Lady's Inside Turn

From an open hold, the lead raises the joined hand and leads the follow to rotate toward her left, winding inward under the arm and back around to face him. Unlike an outside (right) turn where she rotates away, here she turns toward the connection. It is one of the staple turns of Modern bachata, used to open and close phrases and to set up hand changes and wraps.

• Lead: Raise the hand early and lead her body into the rotation from your frame — a turn is led through her core, not by cranking the arm. Give a clear prep so the turn never surprises her.
• Follow: Prep on the tap, spot, and turn toward the raised hand; stay tall on your axis and collect your feet so you finish balanced and on time.
• Timing: Prep on 4 or 8, turn across 1-2-3, resolve on the next tap.
• Common mistake: Leading only the arm so she gets pulled off her axis; muscling the spin instead of spotting and turning on your own balance.

An inside turn winds toward your partner, so it feels softer and more connected than an outside turn. Keep the joined hand at a comfortable height — too high strains her shoulder, too low kills the lead. Inside/outside naming differs by school, so agree on the direction with your partner rather than trusting the label.