How do you spin in place on the ice? The two-foot spin: find your centre, bend the knees, build momentum, arms to the chest and count at least two revolutions.
The honest answer first: a two-foot spin is a rotation in place on both feet in which you keep your centre on one spot and rotate at least twice around your own axis. That is what the Learn to Skate USA adult curriculum says on level 5 of 6: "Beginning two-foot spin (minimum 2 revolutions)" [1]. Level 6 follows with the two-foot spin that moves into a one-foot spin with at least two revolutions on one foot [1].
We classify the skill as "intermediate" because the curriculum only names it on level 5 of 6. The inventory had it as a beginner skill. For context: in the ISU competition rules, a rotation with fewer than three revolutions is not a spin but a skating movement [2]. For you as a recreational skater this simply means: count your revolutions so that you know what you are doing.
Honestly: for the technique of the two-foot spin the curriculum describes only the required element, not the execution. The hints below are practical experience.
Stand with both feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent and the chest above the pelvis. Look at a fixed point. The centre is the point over which you rotate; it lies between your feet. Milestone: you stand so that you stay calm for a few seconds without holding on.
Turn shoulders and arms a little in the opposite direction, then let them swing back with a small impulse so that you make a quarter to half a turn. This is the preparation, not yet the spin. Keep the arms wide and the head calm.
As soon as you rotate, draw the arms to the chest. That makes you faster (the swivel-chair principle: smaller radius, more speed). Bend the knees slightly; that keeps you stable. Milestone: you manage one full turn on the spot.
The curriculum asks for at least two revolutions [1]. Count them aloud and keep your gaze on a fixed point. End the rotation in a controlled way by opening the arms again and rolling out in a calm glide.
Only when the two-foot spin works securely on both sides do you shift the weight slowly onto one foot on level 6: the curriculum then asks for at least two revolutions on one foot [1]. You practise this only with a coach, because balance tips quickly.
Think of an image instead of body parts: "I rotate around a nail in the ice". In a review of 12 studies with 566 participants, an external focus was on average more effective than an internal one for skill acquisition, although the studies were small and the result should be read with caution [4].
Plan a short, fixed session for the spin (rule of thumb, not a study): five minutes of arcs to warm up, then ten half turns, ten full turns and five attempts with two revolutions. Pause after every series. Dizziness is a warning signal: stop, put a foot down or stand quietly. A phone video from above or from the side shows whether you stay on one spot or wander across the ice.
This guide explains and motivates; it does not replace supervised training. Rotating takes away your balance and orientation: practise only in a free corner and throw yourself sideways if in doubt. In a video analysis of 216 ice-skating falls in children, 93% of the children tried to break the fall with arms or hands, and in 13% the head hit the ice [3]. So wear a helmet. Stop immediately if you feel dizzy or nauseous, especially after several rotations in a row; that is not weakness. Do not spin near other skaters.
Practise the rotation with a spotting point: on the first turn, pick a point at the boards, look at it, turn the head away last and back first. The spotting technique is practical experience and helps many people to slow down the dizziness and keep the centre.
Stand shoulder-width apart with bent knees, give a small impulse from shoulders and arms and then draw the arms to the chest to get faster. The curriculum asks for at least two revolutions [1].
In the Learn to Skate USA adult curriculum it is on level 5 of 6, and the spin with a change to one foot on level 6 [1].
In the ISU competition rules, a rotation with fewer than three revolutions counts as a skating movement, not a spin [2]. For recreational skating this is only a benchmark for counting.
Rotation stimulates your balance organ. Fix a spotting point, limit the number of turns per series and stop if you feel nauseous (practical experience). Never spin where dizziness could endanger others.
The Sit Spin: A Low Rotation on One Leg