From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia.
Modern Jive,
sometimes called French Jive is a
dance style that
originated in the 1980s.
It derives from
Swing,
Lindy Hop and
Rock and Roll and
others, the main innovation being to simplify the footwork.
Modern Jive is a generic terms that covers a whole
range of styles and moves. In the UK, Modern Jive tends to be split into
a wide number of classes and events, usually operating under independent
or small groups of classes, each essentially teaching a similar style
including:
Ceroc
LeRoc
Mo'jive
SwingJive
Jazzjive
Swing Roc
Blitz
While all these three forms of dance have Swing
and Rock-and-Roll moves in common, moves from many forms of dance
including
Salsa and
Tango may be
included, according to the specific style and even the particular dance
teacher.
Similarly, identical
dance moves often
have different names in each style, and different signals to indicate
the next move. For example the Lindy Hop
Swing Out is
similar to a
First Move in
Modern Jive. Despite this there is rarely a problem dancing with people
who have been taught other styles, at least with the less advanced
moves. Because of its ecclectic nature there are hundreds of moves and
variations that can be learnt.
Modern Jive is generally danced to music with 4
beats to the bar (4/4 or
Common time),
from latest chart hits to
big band music
and everything between, in a wide variety of tempos from slow to very
fast. Some styles may concentrate on particular musical styles, such as
swing.
It is considered extremely rude to turn down a
request to dance. Women are encouraged to ask men to dance, though this
is much less common than the reverse.
Modern Jive does not require special clothes,
though for women shoes that are easy to turn/spin in are highly
recommended.
Modern Jive is a male led dance, though
experienced female dancers will often be familiar with leading, and will
inevitably be substantially better than new male dancers. Thus, as there
are usually slightly more women than men at a Modern Jive event, it is
not rare to see women dancing together. Men are discouraged from dancing
the female role.
