What is a pair skating death spiral?

A death spiral  is a figure skating pair move when the man leans back into a back outside pivot while holding his partner’s hand at arms length.  The woman can be going forward or backward, on an inside edge or outside.  She will lean back with her head getting as close to the ice as possible.  It’s actually not as dangerous as the name implies.  Throws and split twists are more difficult and cause bigger spills.