Jive Dance

Jive is a lively, and uninhibited variation of the jitterbug. Many of its basic patterns are similar to
those of the East Coast swing. Jive is one of the five International Latin dances, although it has
an African-American origin.

Characteristics of Jive Dancing

Jive and East Coast swing share many figures, as well as the same music style and tempo. The
basic look and feel of jive are that it is performed with lots and lots of energy, with the legs
portraying a pumping action. Both the East Coast swing and basic jive consist of two triple steps
and a rock step. The jive differs in that the count begins with the rock step, which is counted "1,
2." The two triple steps are counted "3 and 4" and "5 and 6." In competition, it is danced at 176
beats per minute.

History of Jive

Jive was first demonstrated by Cab Calloway in 1934. It caught on in the United States in the
1940s and was influenced by the Boogie, Rock & Roll, African/American Swing, and Lindyhop.
The name either comes from jive being a form of glib talk or from African dance terms. Jive
became a generic term for swing in the United Kingdom.

In International Style ballroom dancing competition, jive is grouped with the Latin dances but it is
danced to Western music, with 42 bars per minute in 4/4 time.

Jive Action

Jive is a very happy, boppy, energetic dance, with plenty of knee-lifting, bending, and rocking of
the hips. The fastest of the Latin dances, jive incorporates lots of kicks and flicks, even twirling
of the woman, and doesn't move around the dance floor like other dances. Although jive
dancers may appear to be moving their feet haphazardly in every direction, the feet are actually
well-controlled under the body with the knees close together.

Distinctive Jive Dance Steps

The basic jive step (jive basic) is a 6-beat pattern:

 The man and woman face each other with arms in the closed position and the man
leads.
 Rock step (counts 1 and 2): Step one foot behind the other and lift the front foot up. The
man steps back with his left foot while the woman steps backward with her right foot.
 Chasse to the left (counts 3 and 4) The man goes left, the woman goes right.
 Chasse to the right (counts 5 and 6) The man goes right, the woman goes left.

A few distinctive Jive steps:

 American Spin
 Throwaway
 Comb
 Chicken Walks
 Arm Breaker
 Jig Walks

Jive Music and Rhythm

Jive can be danced to swing music and jump blues in the tempo range of about 200 beats per
minute. Depending on the style preferred, Jive can be danced to a variety of upbeat music
including Boogie-woogie, Swing and Rock and Roll. The most important thing for beginners is to
get familiar with the rhythm of the music. Listen to the drum line rather than the melody, the
drum provides the beat.

Jive Dancing

What is Jive Dancing?

If you grew up dancing ballet, or in a town that doesn't have much in the way of social dance,
then chances are you haven't heard of Jive dancing before. Simply put, Jive is a form of
ballroom dancing. Its style is 4/4 time (in other words, it is quick!) and it is considered to be one
of the international Latin dances found in competition.

Jive has a few simple components to it:

 It is danced at the speed of 44 bars per minute, but this is often reduced to somewhere
between 32 and 40.
 It rivals East Coast Swing in visual elements
 One of the fastest forms of swing dancing, it uses triple chasses and hard swing.

Origins

Like many forms of dance still alive and thriving today, Jive came from African-American cultural
dance. In the case of Jive, it actually originated in the United States, hitting its first wave of
popularity during World War II. It was recognized as a much more energetic version of the
Jitterbug, which was already well known as a swing dance style. Jazz musicians loved to play
Jive music in the 1930s and 1940s, and the name was defined as meaning foolishness or
gibberish - in other words, Jive was a lot of fun!

The U.S. soldiers during the war danced the Jive in Europe and it caught on as a major trend
there, especially among the younger generations. There it became known as Boogie-Woogie,
and eventually the term "Jive" became universal.

When Jive began to enter social dance competitions, it became a bit more choreographed and
went through a "maturing" process where professionals slowed down its energetic style to a
reasonable, universally-accepted pace.

It became an official international competition Latin dance form in the year 1968.

How to Dance the Jive

The basic Jive dancing step consists of eight weight changes in six beats. Whoever is leading
performs a rock step (one foot step back, other foot replace it) for the first two counts. Then, the
couple chasses to the left for counts 3 and 4. Chasse to the right for counts 5 and 6, and then
you are dancing the Jive! The dance is simple and jovial, and it is a favorite in many American
competitions and exhibitions today.

Where to Learn

If you are wanting to learn Jive dancing, you can visit a website such as Ballroom Dancers,
which provides a syllabus and plenty of instructional videos to help you learn the steps. You can
also find videos of jive dancing by checking out various dance websites or researching at your
local library.

However, the best way to learn is to observe. Check out your community calendar to see if there
are any festivals or performances coming up that may include Jive dancing. Many nightclubs
are responding to the new wave of swing dance popularity and offer a swing night where you
can come take a lesson and then dance the night away. Do a little research, ask around, and
you will be surprised at what you might find.

Above all else, Jive dancing is a fun and carefree dance style that offers a special connection
with your partner while getting exercise at the same time. With its bubbly personality and its
history of extreme popularity, it is a worthwhile social dance style worth checking out.

Jive

Genre: Ballroom Dance 
Time signature: 4/4 
Measures per minute (MPM): 44 (may vary) 
Beats per minute (BPM): 176 (may vary) 
Year: Early 1930's 
Origin: United States

Definition

The Jive originated in the United States in the 1930's and refers to a style of ballroom
dancing included in DanceSport categories of competition. African Americans began performing
a series of steps to Swing and Rock & Roll music and therefore created what we know today as
the Jive.

Overview

The Jive originated in the United States from African-Americans in the early 1930's. It was
originally presented to the public in 1934 by Cab Calloway, an American jazz singer. It is a lively
and uninhibited variation of the Jitterbug, a form of Swing dance. Glenn Miller introduced his
own Jive dance in 1938 with the song "Doin' the Jive" which never caught on.

The Jive is one of the five International Style Latin dances. In competition, it is danced at a

speed of 176 beats per minute, although in some cases this is reduced to between 128 and 160
beats per minute.
Many of the Jive's basic patterns are similar to those of the East Coast Swing. The only major
difference is of the highly syncopated rhythm of the Triple Steps (Chasses).

History

The Jive was influenced by the Boogie, Rock & Roll, African/American Swing and Lindyhop.

American soldiers brought Lindy Hop to Europe around 1942, where this dance swiftly found a
following among the young. In the United States, it was called Swing. In the UK, variations in
technique led to styles such as the Boogie-Woogie and the Swing Boogie, with "Jive" gradually
emerging as the generic term.

After the war, the Boogie became the dominant form of popular music. It was, however, never
far from criticism as a foreign, vulgar dance. The famous Ballroom dancing guru, Alex Moore,
said that he had "never seen anything uglier". English instructors developed the elegant and
lively Ballroom Jive, danced to slightly slower music. In 1968, it was adopted as the fifth Latin
dance in International Latin competitions. The modern form of Ballroom Jive danced from the
1990's-present is a very happy and "boppy" dance due to the lifting of the knees and the
bending or the rocking of the hips.

Technique

The Jive is a very happy, boppy, energetic dance, with plenty of knee-lifting, bending, and
rocking of the hips. The fastest of the International Latin dances, Jive incorporates lots of kicks
and flicks, even twirling of the woman, and doesn't move around the dance floor like other
dances. Although Jive dancers may appear to be moving their feet haphazardly in every
direction, the feet are actually well-controlled under the body with the knees close together.

The Jive and the East Coast Swing share many figures, as well as the same music style and
tempo. The basic look and feel of Jive is lots and lots of energy, with the legs portraying a
pumping action. Both the East Coast Swing and the basic Jive consist of two triple steps and a
rock step. The Jive differs in that the count begins with the rock step, which is counted "1,2."
The two triple steps are counted "3 and 4" and "5 and 6."

Music and Rhythm

The Jive can be danced to Swing music and Jump Blues in the tempo range of about 176 beats
per minute. Depending on the style preferred, Jive can be danced to a variety of upbeat music
including Boogie-Woogie, Swing and Rock & Roll. The most important thing for beginners is to
get familiar with the rhythm of the music. Listen to the drum line rather than the melody as the
drum provides the beat.

Basic steps

The basic steps for jive are based on a simple six beat sequence: 1-2-3-a-4-5-a-6. The count
begins with the rock step (left foot step back, right foot in place), followed by the two triple steps
(chasse) that are counted: 3-a-4, 5-a-6. 

The Rock Step is simply changing weight from one foot to the other, except that it is taking a
little step back, instead of to the side. A chasse is a series of three steps to the side. 

Jive is generally danced to music with four beats to the bar that usually contains bouncy
rhythms and easy melodies. The basic step (for men) starts with a rock step (changing weight
from one foot to the other) followed by triple step to the left (left, right, left) and triple step to the
right (right, left, right). The lady mirrors the man. Remember, the timing is - 1, 2, 3 & 4, 5 & 6.

Instructions & Diagrams:

Jive is danced with the lady and man facing each other. The man's left hand loosely holds the
lady's right hand. The man leads starting with his left foot and the lady follows his movements. 

Basic Men's Steps

1. Step back with your left foot (Rock step)

2. Right foot in place, weight shifts to it
3. Sidestep to the left with your left foot (Chasse to the left)
4. Move your right foot to your left foot
5. Sidestep to the left with your left foot
6. Right foot in place, weight shifts to it (Chasse to the right)
7. Sidestep to the right with your left foot
8. Sidestep to the right with your right foot
Basic Lady's Steps

1. Step back with your right foot (Rock step)

2. Left foot in place, weight shifts to it
3. Sidestep to the right with your right foot (Chasse to the right)
4. Move your left foot to your right foot
5. Sidestep to the right with your right foot
6. Left foot in place, weight shifts to it (Chasse to the left)
7. Sidestep to the left with your right foot
8. Sidestep to the left with your left foot

Practice these steps until you are able to do them in time with music. Don't forget to count: 1-2-
3-a-4-5-a-6.