Jive (dance)
Encyclopedia
In Ballroom dancing, Jive is a dance
style in 4/4 time that originated in the United States
from African-Americans in the early 1930s. It was originally presented to the public as 'Jive' in 1934 by Cab Calloway. 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.
Jive is one of the five International 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 its basic patterns are similar to these of the East Coast Swing
with the major difference of highly syncopated
rhythm of the Triple Step
s (Chasse
s), which use straight eighths in ECS and hard swing in Jive.
verbal tradition.
American soldiers brought Lindy Hop
/Jitterbug to Europe around 1942, where this dance swiftly found a following among the young. In the United States the term Swing became the most common word used to describe the dance. In the UK variations in technique led to styles such as Boogie-Woogie and Swing Boogie, with "Jive" gradually emerging as the generic term.
After the war, the boogie
became the dominant form for 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 competitions. The modern form of ballroom jive in the 1990s-present, is a very happy and boppy dance, the lifting of knees and the bending or rocking of the hips often occurs.
The Stationary Hand Jive - Checklist to the perfect SJH:
F - Face. The face must be emotionless.
A - Arms. The arms must be the only part of the body to move.
S - Stationary. The rest of the body must be totally still.
T - Tertiary attributes. There must be no other sounds or movements.
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
style in 4/4 time that originated in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from African-Americans in the early 1930s. It was originally presented to the public as 'Jive' in 1934 by Cab Calloway. It is a lively and uninhibited variation of the Jitterbug, a form of Swing dance. Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
introduced his own jive dance in 1938 with the song "Doin' the Jive" which never caught on.
Jive is one of the five International Latin dances. In competition it is danced at a speed of 176 beats per minute
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
, although in some cases this is reduced to between 128 and 160 beats per minute.
Many of its basic patterns are similar to these of the East Coast Swing
East Coast Swing
East Coast Swing is a form of social partner dance. It belongs to the group of swing dances. It is danced under fast swing music, including rock and roll and boogie-woogie....
with the major difference of highly syncopated
Syncopation (dance)
The terms syncopation and syncopated step in dancing are used in two senses:#The first one matches the musical one: stepping on an unstressed beat...
rhythm of the Triple Step
Triple Step
Triple Step is a generic term for dance step patterns that describes three steps done on two main beats of music. Usually they are two quick steps and one slow one, i.e., often they are counted as "quick-quick-slow", "one-and-two", "three-and-four", etc....
s (Chasse
Chasse
Chasse or chassé rarely chassée is a dance step used in many dances in many variants, all of them being triple-step patterns of gliding character, steps going basically step-together-step. The word came from ballet terminology...
s), which use straight eighths in ECS and hard swing in Jive.
History
To jazz musicians who were the players of swing music in the 1930s and 1940s "Jive" was an expression denoting glib or foolish talk. Or derived from the earlier generics for giouba of the African dance Juba danceJuba dance
The Juba dance or hambone, originally known as Pattin' Juba , is a style of dance that involves stomping as well as slapping and patting the arms, legs, chest, and cheeks. "Pattin' Juba" would be used to keep time for other dances during a walkaround...
verbal tradition.
American soldiers brought Lindy Hop
Lindy Hop
The Lindy Hop is an American social dance, from the swing dance family. It evolved in Harlem, New York City in the 1920s and '30s and originally evolved with the jazz music of that time. Lindy was a fusion of many dances that preceded it or were popular during its development but is mainly based...
/Jitterbug to Europe around 1942, where this dance swiftly found a following among the young. In the United States the term Swing became the most common word used to describe the dance. In the UK variations in technique led to styles such as Boogie-Woogie and Swing Boogie, with "Jive" gradually emerging as the generic term.
After the war, the boogie
Boogie
Boogie is a repetitive, swung note or shuffle rhythm, "groove" or pattern used in blues which was originally played on the piano in boogie-woogie music. The characteristic rhythm and feel of the boogie was then adapted to guitar, double bass, and other instruments. The earliest recorded...
became the dominant form for 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 competitions. The modern form of ballroom jive in the 1990s-present, is a very happy and boppy dance, the lifting of knees and the bending or rocking of the hips often occurs.
Basic step
The basic step (Jive Basic) is a six beat pattern, comprising eight weight changes.- Leader: Normally the male
- Counts 1&2 - ChasseChasseChasse or chassé rarely chassée is a dance step used in many dances in many variants, all of them being triple-step patterns of gliding character, steps going basically step-together-step. The word came from ballet terminology...
to the left (Triple step) - Counts 3&4 - ChasseChasseChasse or chassé rarely chassée is a dance step used in many dances in many variants, all of them being triple-step patterns of gliding character, steps going basically step-together-step. The word came from ballet terminology...
to the right - Counts 5 6 - Rock stepRock StepRock step may refer to one of similar dance moves. The name refers to the rocking action during the move: the weight is transferred from one foot to another and then back. It is used in a number of dances, such as East Coast Swing, Zydeco, Lindy Hop, Tango.Most often it is a two-step dance move...
: left foot step back, right foot
- Counts 1&2 - Chasse
- The follower's steps are mirrored. Normally the female
The Stationary Hand Jive - Checklist to the perfect SJH:
F - Face. The face must be emotionless.
A - Arms. The arms must be the only part of the body to move.
S - Stationary. The rest of the body must be totally still.
T - Tertiary attributes. There must be no other sounds or movements.