I take my hat off to all you dancers.

Why is it that at most parties these days, while the beat is pounding out of the sound system at a volume that makes all social interaction (except dancing) difficult, the majority of guests opt to sit and drink and attempt to talk. Occasionally a few girls get up and jig together, champagne in one hand, doing the “hitch-hiker” with the other and the guys look on, as if observing some endangered species at the wildlife park, stuck to their seats by the glue of fear.

And fear they should. Where else in society is your every movement of every limb under public scrutiny. Every new dancer feels like a dork and most of them look like dorks. On top of that there may be trouble with hearing the beat which makes you feel awkward, there may be parts of your figure that you don’t like and you don’t like others looking at them and on this lonely dance floor, there isn’t anybody who doesn’t notice.

But the secret is that they all secretly admire whatever it is that gives you the courage to care less about public opinion and breathe a good deep lung-full of freedom and just be yourself.

You all know what I’m talking about and you all have felt the fear of, say, turning up for your first dance class. Shaking in your boots and sometimes literally – and the boots didn’t help the whole affair either. You have to have a good deal of courage to learn to dance. It’s not courage over the fear of injury or death or the kind of courage an investor has about financial risk. It’s something much greater: courage to overcome the fear of ridicule or scorn, the courage to do what you want to do for your reasons even though it may make you an object of public humour or mockery, … otherwise known as “self-confidence”. It doesn’t matter that what we fear hardly ever happens. Our fear is a powerful obstacle nonetheless.

What I’ve noticed over the last 5 years since I started teaching dancing is that dancers are special people. They have a kind of class about them. On the whole they aren’t trying to be ‘mucho’ or to prove anything. They are generally more sincere and authentic than non-dancers. And if they aren’t when they begin, they usually are after a little while. I think dancing produces massive results is self-development. It challenges us in so many unique ways. One of these is the fear of proximity with the opposite sex, an activity which is so distorted and loaded by the sexual paranoia of our culture – but perhaps I’ll write about that later.

So congratulations to all of you. You are ALL courageous people, and here’s to your continued and increased self-confidence.

Brent and Corina

Jivemecrazy

The following is an article written for the dancer’s ball by Craig Delica. thanks to Craig for his permission to use it here.
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I like to read to you a literary extract by Paul Bottomer which was published in 1998.

“Dancing is both the most artistic of social pastimes and the most social of artistic pastimes. In all societies dancing forms an integral part of the lifestyle. Dancing is not only a reflection of life but is a basic human expression of life itself. While the initial motivation to dance is often a social one, once past the hurdle of actually learning to dance, many find in the music, the atmosphere and the dance, the opportunity to take on a new persona. The music and the venue create the atmosphere, but it is the dancer who expresses their own individuality through the language of the dance.”

“Whatever your musical taste or individual preferences, the huge variety of dances ensures that there is something to suit you. You do not need to be a good dancer to enjoy the dancing, the music, the mood, the atmosphere and of course, the social life. Dancing is, and should always be accessible to everyone.”

Partner dancing is arguably one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult sport to undertake. Two individuals with different backgrounds, most commonly of the opposite gender, different ideologies, and each with a different interpretation of music. But, ultimately trying to function as one unit, a team, to display an aesthetically pleasing performance and create an immensely pleasurably experience for each other. Yet despite all the pitfalls that partner dancing has, and its degree of difficulty, we all seem to return again and again to emulate the last performance.

The old cliché, ‘you dance your troubles away’, rings loud and true for many of us, and in more ways than one, for some.

Many men, who go through the pain of separation and a bitter battle with their spouse over children, often look for solitude in a pastime to enlighten their lives. Pastimes, which will help alleviate the pressure, stress, associated with separation, and also help to decelerate a pessimistic mindset, which in many cases if left unattended, could ultimately lead to a depressive state for the individual, and their peers.

One of these pastimes which many separated men have formed a strong association with over recent years is ‘partner type’ dancing. Dancing studios throughout the region have become a popular outlet for many men, who seek their troubles away by dancing.

For these individuals partner dancing is attributable to gaining confidence for them, not only being able to execute elaborate dance moves well, but confidence in regaining many life skills, that many of us simply take for granted. Such as perhaps shivery, or simply escorting a partner to and from the dance floor. Courtesy, friendship, and the ability to communicate and relate well to people in general.

With the conception of The Dancer’s Ball, it was decided that the organisation Dads in Distress be the first beneficiary.

I would like to thank Jo Dovey and Neil Martin for their efforts in raising funds which will help benefit the local branches of the Dads in Distress organisation. We hope that all money raised by these individuals, provides valuable counselling and associated aids, which will help benefit all members of the Dads in Distress organization.

The ultimate goal for the ball this evening, is to raise awareness amongst the dancing community as to the closure, reduction in size, and mixed usage of dance floors within the region. Despite the growing publicity that partner dancing is receiving with television shows such as, “So You Think You Can Dance”, “Dancing with the Stars”, and “Strictly dancing”. We are seeing an increasing number of registered clubs within the local areas declining to upgrade their existing dance floors.

For social & competitive dancing to survive, we desperately need places to showcase the sport / pastime which we all love. We need the clubs and floors to allow the sport to continue, for without the clubs support, the dancing community will be forced into isolation, therefore allowing us to only use facilities such as basket ball floors and obscure halls.

So how do we as a dancing community undertake this situation? Firstly look at becoming a member of the club. Vote at the meetings. Find out how to become a member of the boards. Voice your opinion in regards to the state of the dance floor, its usage, and the type of bands / music that is played.

Purchase a drink of some description. It doesn’t have to be an alcoholic beverage. Purchase a meal or snacks. Take an active interest in the club, the facilities and entertainment that the club has to offer. Remember clubs need our patronage to survive.

It’s been some time since we added a video routine to the library. We have been writing new routines every week but have lacked the time to get them edited and uploaded. I hope you enjoy this one.

I72 NTERMEDIATE LEVEL MODERN JIVE:

This dance lesson includes a lean of low difficulty. No dips.

• First Move Splice
• Continuous Lady Wrapper
• First Move Back Pass

The First Move Splice is a beautiful stretching lunge for the lady with her leg over the man’s leg. The continuous lady wrapper is a slightly coplex floor sequence that flows nicely and has the crowd intrigued. The First Move Back pass (or behind-the-back-pass) is a variation of the beginner First Move and which maintains the flow of the lady’s spin. You’ll love this one.

DOWNLOAD:Download it now.

Modern jive is really a conglomerate of dance styles and as such it is open to many changing influences. Go to a Modern Jive or Ceroc competition and you will see routines danced that look like anything between partner hip-hop and contemporary jazz ballet.

I’m often asked, “where is the ‘Jive’ in all of this. Traditional Jivers know that the unique skipping tripple step of Jive is nowhere to be found in modern jive. Commonly they say that it looks more like Salsa. In some ways this is very true. Salsa moves with little vertical rhythm. The hips roll in order to keep the head fairly much at the same height. The rhythm is expressed through the horizontal movement of the hips and legs and the shoulders neck and head remain isolated. Jive, on the other hand ‘bounces’ distinctly with the rhythm vertically and therefore needs a much faster pace. If you try to bounce to 115 Beats per Minute – you’ll find that it’s just too slow and you have to wait between each bounce. It feels very awkward. In many ways this is why we need Modern Jive (which is not jive at all) because we have very little music in the radio charts that is fast enough to jive to.

The influence of West Coast Swing has served to increase this gap between Modern Jive and Traditional Jive even though it sees the reintroduction of a tripple step (I believe). When you watch a couple dance west coast swing, you notice that the rhythmic punctuation is most obvious in horizontal movements, pauses at the end of the “slot” and the staccato finishes to spins and travels. The pause has become very prominent as a means of musical interpretation and rhythmic emphasis. Usually it is accompanied by some small non-foot movement, a shimmy or a body-roll until the couple resume travel and footwork together after the cadence. It looks great – but you will find that if you’ve been dancing Modern Jive for some time, it is a new world of techniques that are mostly foreign to you.

So what are you to learn? What is the right style to adopt? I have found myself asking this question as I dance and teach. Where is it all headed, where are the fads and what elements will stay with us?

I watched a routine last Saturday night performed by my old teachers John and Carolyn Woodman. They danced to a slow version of “Halo” and they danced beautifully. Carolyn’s arms are flowing and graceful – which is not a common element in some of the new influences mentioned and I feel that it is missed. It doesn’t eliminate strong punctuation or rhythmic interpretation.

The routine was full of dips and clever pattern work flowing smoothly inside musicality. There were hardly any body rolls or cute little gyrations – the music didn’t lend to that anyway. The overall mood was romantic and with a graceful dignity and pride.

On the other hand I have watched with great interest and delight as couples danced a totally differnt spin on Modern Jive. Playful, cute, fast and even cheeky. The most important thing about your style is that you enjoy it and that you let it evolve organically in ways that give the lead to the music. The more you let the music move you, the more inventive you can become and the more fun you will have. There’s no limit on what you can do or what is technically right or wrong – so enjoy the diversity.

Many of our older videos here demonstrate a very “straight” interpretation of Modern Jive. Our style has shifted a lot and will continue to do so. That doesn’t make those moves outdated by any means! The moves, and the style that is overlayed on those moves are two very different things. So much so, that I have seen moves that I have taught danced with such a different and creative style that I hardly recognised them. That in itself is an excellent quality of Modern Jive. Enjoy.

Brent.