In their book Modern Dancing (1914), Vernon and Irene Castle (shown at left; click to enlarge) state that the spin is "the most important step of all, yet there are very few people who do it correctly." and Albert W. Newman, in Dances of To-day (1914), noted that it was "most advantageous" to use when "there is a congestion of the dancers upon the floor."
The technique for the spin is quite simple. The dancers simply rock back and forth from one foot to the other, turning as much as they like on each change of weight. One's two feet should be almost a straight line, not spread widely apart.
To turn clockwise, both dancers have the right foot forward, their feet very close together, the insides of their legs touching or very close to it. This is not a move to be shy about body contact on! The feet should be in almost a straight line; if they are wide apart, the move will look like waddling. The right foot is the pivot point while the left foot propels the dancers around. Here is the Castles' description:
"One main point you must bear in mind, and that is only to spin on one foot. A peg-top could not spin well if it had two pegs, and it is the same with us. It is absolutely necessary for both lady and gentleman to use the right foot. Now both these feet must be close together. With the left foot you propel yourself around -- the gentleman holding his partner closely and bringing her round with a steady pull."
Here is the diagram given by Newman:
The clockwise turn is the only one the Castles mention, but Newman also gives the option of a counter-clockwise turn. To spin clockwise, simply reverse the feet. The left foot is forward to serve as the pivot point while the right foot sweeps around the outside.
Newman shows eight steps for a complete turn, but there is no reason it can't be made in more or fewer counts if the dancers prefer and can achieve the necessary momentum.
To start the clockwise turn while backing the lady around the room in the usual manner, the gentleman simply doesn't step forward onto the right foot. Leave it in back and rock back onto it, holding the lady firmly to bring her along. It might seem easier to start the clockwise turn if the gentleman is backing, since the natural momentum of the dancers will carry them into that first step, but that only transfers the necessary lead into the rocking to the second step. Likewise, the counter-clockwise turn feels more natural on the first step but requires the "rock!" lead on the second step.
Note that this step is distinct from the traveling turn (pivots). The feet are in line rather than side by side and the dancers rock back and forth rather than stepping around each other. The spin turn does not travel.
A performance note: some people seem to want to do this turn by crossing the sweeping foot behind the other, meaning that when the right foot is forward the dancers end up turning counter-clockwise instead of clockwise. The sweeping foot does not cross behind the front foot. It moves out to its own side (left foot moves to the dancer's left).
Newman, who likes dips, gives the option of exiting with a dip by bringing the front foot back, the gentleman bending his knee slightly while the lady lunges very gently forward. It needs to be a very fast dip to keep the one-step rhythm. Here is how it would work coming out of a clockwise turn, giving the gentleman's feet:
1 Rock back left
2 Rock forward right
(...repeated however many times...)
3 Rock back left
4 Step back right and dip
1 Step forward left to continue walking in the one-step
For exiting the counter-clockwise turn, simply reverse the feet.
A final word on technique from Vernon Castle:
...you can either spin on your toe or your heel. It does not matter which. I personally always spin on my heel on a slippery floor and on my toe on a carpet or "dead" floor.
Vernon does not mean only on the heel, as in the maxixe, just that the foot can be flat on the floor.
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