Jive Me Crazy:
Frequently asked Questions
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Jive Me Crazy: |
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Using The Shop (registering, selecting videos to purchase, paying and downloading files.) After the Download (playing the video files on your computer, laptop, DVD player) About Modern Jive (where can I dance it, what makes it different from other styles) About Modern Jive? What kind of music should I dance to? What other names does modern Jive go by?
What kind of music should I dance to? (back to top) The beauty of Modern Jive is that you can dance it to a lot of the top 40 songs from radio in the US and UK. A typical Modern Jive tempo is about 125 beats per minute, but you can dance well with practice to anything between 105 and 150 beats per minute. If you've ever danced salsa or rock and roll, you'll know the frustration of being at a party where there was only one or two songs all night that you could dance to. Those days are over once you begin to learn Modern Jive.
About dancing on Beat. (back to top) If you don't dance on beat, you may as well not be dancing. There is a danger when learning complex body and partner moves, that the dancers can make no reference to the rhythm of the music. Dancing is the combination of music and movement and they must work in sync. Try clapping your hands or tapping your toe to the beat before you get right into it, then step into some basic footwork until you can feel the music moving you. That's dancing on beat. If you've done some Latin or Ballroom dancing, you may find it difficult at first to start out men on their right and ladies on their left. Give it a few weeks and it will feel as natural to you as the waltz. trust me.
Where do the moves come from? (back to top) Modern Jive moves are influenced from many forms of dancing. There are wonderful collections of moves that have evolved in so many diverse cultures around the world and much of it can be adapted to Modern Jive. Typically it is slowed down, because Modern Jive is less of a run or hopping gait and more of a walk, which is great for those of us who are less fit than Michael Flatley Sometimes you'll see a move that is named after a person, like "Gabby's leap". Often times it is a move that Gabby saw or invented and taught someone and they called it that because it helped them to remember it and then it stuck. Unfortunately, there is no global naming code for Modern Jive and it is very open freestyle. But this has it's up side too. So much variety, so many sources of inspiration. Invariably, when you dance with someone from another city, there is much that you can do together as well as much that you can teach each other. Enjoy.
What other names does modern Jive go by? (back to top) Often times Modern Jive is confused with the names of the dance companies that teach it. With in reason, some such companies are Ceroc, Le-roc, Le-Step, Club Jive, Blitz and so on. It doesn't really matter what you call it, if the footwork is generally simplified to right left right left, and the tempo is around the 110 to 140 mark and it's couples dancing using physical force to communicate body movements and rhythm, it's Modern Jive.
Why must the male lead? (back to top) This question assumes that a couple is a male and a female. You may have seen couples of the same sex dancing very well together. In either case, a leader needs to be designated for each move or for all moves. Especially when there is lifting or dipping involved it is imperative that the balance and direction be dictated by the lifter. In addition, the simple waiting to be pushed by one person and the initiative to find the beat and push on it by the other, keeps a couple in perfect time with each other. The alternative is often very messy. Most moves are better lead by the male since he is spinning less or doing less movements that would disorient him - allowing him to keep an eye on other dancers and objects and ensure the safety of his partner. Some moves, by their nature require the woman to lead and the man to follow in order to flow. Either way it should be a beautiful partnership where each is honored and appreciated and celebrated by the other.
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