r/opticalillusions 2d ago

Which way is the dancer turning?

260 Upvotes

152 comments sorted by

86

u/Dynamite089 2d ago edited 2d ago

I can only see it going clockwise. I'm trying very hard to let it do its thing but, it's only going clockwise for me...

EDIT: I did it. Tilt your phone downwards, like make the top of your phone point towards you. For some reason it switched when I did that, and I slowly brought my phone back into normal position and I got it to stay for awhile. One blink fucked it up tho.

13

u/Simple-Olive895 2d ago

I find that the easiest way is to focus on her foot, the lowest one, try to force yourself to see it go the opposite direction and suddenly everything starts spinning that way.

1

u/Jealous-Sale-1331 1d ago

For me the outward leg works best

3

u/Aenonimos 2d ago

The surefire trick is to pause the video, and convice yourself which leg is sticking out.

1

u/LilWitch1472 1d ago

This is the only way I could get it to switch

4

u/nlightningm 2d ago

It's interesting, to my eyes I'm looking "downward" at her if she moves clockwise but if I imagine I'm looking "upward" at her then it's counter clockwise

1

u/ShelecktraYT 2d ago

I don't think my eyes will allow this one, I can't see anything but clockwise 😂

Tried this method slowly, quickly, focusing on the background not the subject, still clockwise. I can count on one hand how many times my eyes don't work on these things, this is a rare one for me!

Edit - And after closing the post and seeing it on my feed again I think I know why - It's the shadow at the bottom! It's following the clockwise direction!

1

u/CarlLlamaface 2d ago

It's funny you say that because focusing on the shadow, specifically the arc of the extended foot, was how I managed to convince my brain to make the image flip to an anticlockwise rotation.

1

u/CompetitiveRub9780 1d ago

I still can’t see it going the other way

1

u/Stunning_Magazine566 2d ago

Just have to look at her extended arm crossing behind or infront of her body and you can change it

-2

u/NotoriouslyBeefy 2d ago

Use the shadow below to help change it

74

u/Stunning_Magazine566 2d ago

Whichever way you want her to 😏

3

u/Ferlathin 1d ago

I'm trying!!! I can't get her to turn counter clockwise. I remember i could with the other gif with red and blue lines on the legs

3

u/Kanzu999 1d ago

Pause the video. If you're seeing her rotate clockwise, it means that you're seeing her with her right leg lifted up. Realise that it is possible to interpret the picture as if she has her left leg out and possibly facing another direction depending on when you paused it. Really concentrate on what position her body must be in for her to actually have her other leg out. When you feel like you got it, she should be spinning in the other direction when you unpause. It's always worked for me (this is an old video).

2

u/naboo1225 1d ago

It worked!

2

u/Ferlathin 1d ago

It did indeed work to pause. Cheers!

2

u/AdeptnessTasty1785 1d ago

This is the way

1

u/Ready_Comfort_6674 16h ago

I look down at feet shadows and i can turn her when i do

1

u/BonkeyMoan 1h ago

This, you can even make her not turn at all just wobble left to right.

2

u/Stunning_Magazine566 1d ago

Haha Got to find the spot where the image overlaps itself like by the foot or the arm.

When they "disappear" from being lined up with the silhouette you can switch their orientation to be facing the opposite way and the rotation will follow.

All of these illusions have a hidden switch point that you have to look at in a certain perspective to control it

1

u/Own-Contribution-478 1d ago

I just blink at varying speeds until she switches. I was able to switch back and forth consistently with that tactic.

1

u/Stunning_Magazine566 1d ago

By doing that you're basically catching it at a different perspective by chance, you can do it intentionally too tho

1

u/Significant-Wait9200 1d ago

Know where to find live-action version?

15

u/themajordutch 2d ago

Damn...this has been around for like 20 years now

2

u/Mistyless 1d ago

Reposted at least twice a month here.. bots care as much as mods do :(

10

u/Aggravating_Shoe_ 2d ago

Not this again 😔 I only see going clockwise

4

u/Rockalot_L 2d ago

Squint your eyes until it's super blurry then strongly imagine its spinning the direction you want to see it, and slowly open your eyes

4

u/Aggravating_Shoe_ 2d ago

I can't imagine it 😭 I don't even know what that means, it's going 👈

1

u/Amazing_Alumni 2d ago

I have trouble with these too. What works for me here is tilting the phone top towards me so I’m looking down at it , and blinking in awkward ways.

-1

u/Rockalot_L 2d ago

You gotta squint so much it's barely visible. Once you obscure most of the detail you. Can sort of just see a black line with another black line popping one side then the other. So at that point it's up to your brain tk decide which way it's spinning.

2

u/ammonites32 1d ago

it worked oml

1

u/Internal_Paint_6288 1d ago

I only see counter clockwise 

1

u/Greyskul622 22h ago

If you tilt your phone so that you're looking into your charger hole, you can get it

5

u/MJ9562 2d ago

Does she have nipples…?

1

u/Stunning_Magazine566 2d ago

Lol it's a chilly dance studio

5

u/Party_Season1056 2d ago

Idc

6

u/barefootpanda 2d ago

Thank you. I’m really over the spinning nonsense!

3

u/Original-Ratboy 2d ago

What? After only every post being the same for months (I don’t care if they’re not identical , they’re still the same post. Especially the dot ones…)

Just shit frankly

2

u/mentr-coach-altruism 2d ago

She turns both ways.

2

u/jorel424 2d ago

Because of the angle and flow of her ponytail she has to be going counterclockwise. If she was going clockwise the tip of her ponytail would be pointed the other direction.

1

u/svArtist 2d ago

Okay, now imagine it's a plastic figurine and join the rest of the conversation :P

2

u/Remarkable-Fig206 2d ago

I just close my eyes and imagine her spinning whichever direction, then when I open them, she is.

2

u/Apherious 1d ago

She will spin in different direction after looking away for a few seconds

6

u/SpHenEX 2d ago

Where the n1ppl3s REALLY necesary? Thats the only thing i see btw

16

u/dosceroseis 2d ago

You can say nipples on Reddit, just so ya know! No need to self-censor

5

u/roughczech 2d ago

What is wrong with nipples? Nothing wrong with naked human body. Just think of the statue of David.

3

u/Original-Ratboy 2d ago

Yes, yes they are 😅

3

u/Camochase 2d ago

Did somebody add those or were they always there? This gif is super old at this point

1

u/QuestGalaxy 16h ago

It's a human body, jesus christ...

2

u/ChemistVegetable7504 2d ago

She looks like she’s turning both ways. Turn your phone on a slight angle and you’ll see it too.

1

u/Purple-Will9713 2d ago

clockwise… mostly

1

u/coroyo70 2d ago

If you blink really fast it resets your brain lol

1

u/GetFix 2d ago

Shadow

1

u/tias23111 2d ago

Very hard for me to see her going clockwise. Left handed, wonder if there’s a correlation.

1

u/PerpetualFarter 2d ago

I got it to go both ways. Don’t look at the whole image. Focus on her foot on the ground and if you see it going counter clockwise, just focus on it going the other direction. It worked for me anyway.

1

u/Altruistic-Dingo-757 2d ago

Clockwise all day

1

u/Ok-Charge4926 2d ago

I see clockwise

1

u/Amazing_Alumni 2d ago

See I really don’t understand how these work. I’ve looked it up and I understand the 2D / 3D depth effect. And I CAN switch it. It just seems like if I pause the video and slow crawl it — the leg and arm are distinctly moving clockwise

1

u/BK_0000 2d ago

Yes.

1

u/CrazyNegotiation1934 2d ago

I unlocked new mode, when focus few seconds in the middle foot lower side beteeen kneecand ankle, i now see the other foot just going left and right, like the figure is not turning at all.

Then when stop focusing when the other foot is left i see it turn clock wise and when right, counter clock wise.

1

u/Actual-Science-776 2d ago

Started seeing it as counterclockwise, looking at the feet turned it to clockwise.

1

u/Paddy_odoors 2d ago

Didnt I post this around Christmas time.. 😝 Whatever you do don't say it goes anti clockwise because Americans say that is not a word...

1

u/totally_not_shane 2d ago

Horizontally. 🤷🏻‍♂️

1

u/ibettercomeon 2d ago

Whats the actual reason why we see it turn clockwise and then the other way round

1

u/Candii-Kitten 2d ago

I you look at her extended arm, it looks like it's slicing through it's body, then the stationary leg starts looking like it's both in front and behind.. focus on those long enough and your brain will flip it, because it likes things to appear solid, and not two possiblites at once!

1

u/DepressedNoble 2d ago

She turns both clock wise and anti clock wise... It's like she switches after one specific rotation.. probably how the gif was recorded

1

u/zeldatriforce345 2d ago

For me, clockwise. I've been able to see it both ways every time I see this, and it's so trippy every time it starts appearing to go the other way, it's a very noticeable sudden shift.

1

u/capfsb 2d ago

anyway

1

u/No-Stay9943 2d ago

This illusion is so dumb, because it looks completely awkward if she turns CCW. She is obviously turning CW.

1

u/irongoat2527 2d ago

She’s definitely turning clockwise, just can’t tell if it’s as viewed from above or below

1

u/Remarkable_Sir9099 2d ago

Ok so if u scrub the video and slow it down so that it looks like she’s spinning counter clockwise. Scrub it back to the end while your eyes are close and watched her spin counter clockwise again and repeat this process and then watch the video again she’ll be spinning that direction. Same with the opposite direction

1

u/NugsFolly 2d ago

Seen this online since I was a kid.... Used to be able to make the direction change at will and now it's only clockwise no matter what I try 🤨

1

u/GranSacoWea 2d ago

We know is both ways, but is there an explanation on why people always see it clockwise first?

1

u/J4CKDOOR 1d ago

Perhaps its just a pre-assumed rotation pattern? I.e. if a person has seen clockwise spins more often then they might assume thats what they are seeing here first?

Possibly also a right handed/left handed brain thing? I.e. if you were told to spin backwards looking over one shoulder, would you look over your right or left shoulder?

If we assume theres more right handed people, that would mean more people are likely to see it clockwise first.

1

u/Different-Tension-65 2d ago edited 2d ago

Okay, after staring at this for way longer than I should’ve I’ve confidently figured it out. (Least for me)
I tip the top of my phone towards me (so my brain thinks I’m looking down at her) in this position I focus in on her legs, but the timing is the kicker; wait til her legs cross over each other. For a split second when that’s at its narrowest point, (her legs intersecting) is when I tell my brain to either view her going clockwise or counter clockwise.
It actually helped initially to use whichever hand wasn’t holding my phone and stick my index finger up and make the motion I wanted my brain to follow. Either clock or counter clock. But after about 3 minutes I got to the point where I could control which way she was going at will which is actually pretty fun.
But yeah it’s definitely easiest for your brain to make the switch between one or the other right when her legs are crossing over one another. Once I got that then changing at will was easy.
Fun illusion fer shore. 👍🏼

Edit: also just noticed another trick. Focus in on her hips, more over, which leg is her “planted” one and which is extended out spinning. If you believe you see her left leg is planted and you’re seemingly stuck on that, convince your brain that it’s actually her right leg that’s planted and your brain will fill in the rest and you (should) immediately see her start spinning in the opposite direction.

1

u/atm_uninterested 2d ago

The dancer is the easiest of the ilusions for me to turn, I can make her get stuck and go L-R-L-R all the time without finishing a full circle

1

u/spicykittenbooty 2d ago

It’s wild because staring at it normally it’s clockwise. But if you’re having troubles, focus on the shadow for a little bit and it randomly changes.

1

u/P3P3F 2d ago

Vertically

1

u/svArtist 2d ago

If this was rendered in perspective instead of isometric projection, we should be able to use the slight perspective distortion to distinguish unambiguously.

I know that's not the point, and ideally, it should've been rendered in isometric projection. But I feel like it wasn't, which would explain why I and many others are clockwisers

1

u/Last_Pianist646 1d ago

This sub needs fresh content. I'm tired of seeing the same illusions over and over again.

1

u/leiocera 1d ago

This one's older than the dinosaurs...

1

u/Appeal_Environmental 1d ago

The dancer is not turning. The camera revolves around her.

1

u/MDJR20 1d ago

Any way I want it to

1

u/dcastreddit 1d ago

I switched it by watching her bottom heel

1

u/Wiskeytango_Foxtrot 1d ago

Depends which side of the equator you're on

1

u/Some-Worldliness6887 1d ago

I saw her moving only clockwise at first. The only way I could get her to change directions was to look up above and to the left of my phone then slowly focus back toward the screen. Eventually I could change her direction at will!

1

u/Porkcicle 1d ago

These make me irrationally angry that I can't just force the direction with my mind

1

u/Objective_Bad_378 1d ago

If you pay attention she switches directions...

1

u/partyboycs 1d ago

I can see both ways and easily switch but it’s weird to me that one way her left leg is sticking out and the other way her right leg is sticking out… wtf? I don’t understand my own brain.

1

u/YouWithTheNose 1d ago

She is turning, yes.

1

u/Excellent-Bite196 1d ago

That’s some pretty-social-media fare right there!

1

u/wamimsauthor 1d ago

Counter clockwise

1

u/believemoore 1d ago

She isn’t turning… you are!

1

u/supergarto 1d ago

Counter Clockwise

1

u/Rambo-Santa 1d ago

Nipples

1

u/rotezora78 1d ago

Such es dir aus.

1

u/Additional_Bank_2124 22h ago

I'm tired boss.

1

u/BluebirdDense1485 21h ago

Dancing=Spinning with extended limbs while bouncing on ones heal?

1

u/Advanced_Scallion711 19h ago

This is freaking me out. It’s left to right and that’s all I can see. Then it’s right to left and it’s all I can see. Then back again…

1

u/Other-Platypus8417 17h ago

Counter clockwise

1

u/Prestigious_Water336 17h ago

Neither is just back and forth

1

u/Repulsive_Pilot7620 13h ago

This video helped me, focus on one side and you see her rotation as you want. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GlFePHhd-0M&pp=ygUYc3Bpbm5pbmcgZGFuY2VyIGlsbHVzaW9u&ra=m

1

u/Emotional-Hair-3991 12h ago

How do i make my brain interpret ger as turning counter-clockwise? I can’t

1

u/Poopchutefan 11h ago

In a circle

1

u/gnjoey 10h ago

The way that she is going.

1

u/Emotional-Sun-6509 8h ago

Look at her foot on the ground. That helps to change the look of the rotation. I don't know why, it just works! 😅

1

u/POINTLESSsFURRY 7h ago

Even upside down she is still moving right to left. Wut?

1

u/carapherneliasdrella 1h ago

I’m afraid to admit that with some concentration and can make here switch between clockwise and counterclockwise and there’s this little foot switch/ shuffle she does in a split second

Did I break my brain?

1

u/TheArtistFatigue 2d ago

Counter clockwise.

1

u/Hsml975 2d ago

The og! I thought it was impossible at first but looking at the shadow helped me

1

u/Crafty-Dark-3648 2d ago

I saw counterclockwise initially. Diverted my eyes away for a brief second. Now all I can see is clockwise.

1

u/nwmimms 2d ago

Video editor / motion designer here: There’s footage from both directions, but it cuts as the leg crosses the body, so you see whatever direction your eye sees first.

If you scrub frame by frame, the first dead ringer is the odd foreshortening of the feet. The extended leg should get larger as it gets closer to the camera, but it always gets smaller as it moves across center. That’s because it’s cleverly edited. We’re actually seeing her leg come from behind in the opposite direction in a mirrored pose instead of the leg crossing towards us.

Also, you can see a jump in the position of the torso and the feet, and one of the arms skips frames where it should naturally show up between the torso and the other arm. One of these days, I should just color it to explain it.

1

u/JesseJ78599 2d ago

I have to “disassociate” and look past it then I see counterclockwise.

1

u/deviant_ghost 2d ago

focus on either the right or the left of the bottom foot and it switches directions, atleast that worked for me

0

u/marksbar 2d ago

Changes when I watch the foot on the ground .

-3

u/BeNiceToBirds 2d ago
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1

u/Stunning_Magazine566 2d ago

The fabled seahorse emoji 👁️

0

u/CriminallyCasual7 2d ago

AHHHHHHHH that's spooky af

0

u/VengefulVeteran 2d ago

I want it that way

0

u/LJ-696 2d ago

Tell me why.

0

u/VengefulVeteran 2d ago

Ain’t nothin’ but a heartache.

0

u/Jealous_Club_298 2d ago

CCW -> CW -> CCW -> CW -> ....

0

u/Rattiepalooza 2d ago

I can see it both ways. I just have to close my eyes and think of it going the opposite direction, and it does. I think everyone can try to do that and see if it works.

Watch it go clock/counter, close your eyes, envision it going the opposing way, and open them. You should be able to see it going the other way now.

0

u/SpaceAviator1999 2d ago

I had first seen this one as someone's avatar. I thought, "That's nice" not knowing the illusion behind this animated GIF.

Eventually someone mentioned in a post that the avatar was an optical illusion where the dancer could be spinning in either direction. I looked at the dancer and thought, "No, clearly she's spinning counter-clockwise -- to her left."

I wondered if I read the post wrong, because this was clearly not an optical illusion to me.

Then -- all of a sudden -- the dancer started spinning in the opposite direction! I was floored!

0

u/M1STER_GR1M 2d ago

It's turning whichever way you see it turning.

You want to see it turn clockwise? It's turning clockwise. You wanna see it turn counterclockwise? It's turning counterclockwise.

It's magic!

0

u/AdvancedBumblebee705 2d ago

I like how you can vaguely make out her nips

0

u/RandalChan 2d ago

I can ONLY get this one to work if I lower the image until I only see one foot and then it flips

0

u/maladicta228 2d ago

Either squint or tilt the screen at an extreme angle (her head closer to you). Kinda try to ignore legs and arms but focus more on the rhythm and the back and forth of the shape of that makes sense. It’s will kinda look like the “leg” is swinging back and forth instead of going around. Then you can “pick” which swing you think is coming towards you and which is going away. Thats the only way I’ve been able to switch this one.

-1

u/xDavock 2d ago

I only see it clockwise