Modern Jive was Introduced, in the form we recognise today, in the early  nineteen eighties and draws from many other well known forms of dancing. Mainly, but not exclusively, danced in the UK, New Zealand and Australia one of its great appeals is that once you know a few moves you can quickly begin to change the style of your dancing to suit the type of music that you like. For example Modern Jive has many elements that you could compare to styles of dancing as diverse as Rock and Roll and Salsa. Link this with the fact that you can 'Modern Jive' to a huge variety of music catering for every taste and age range and you have a dance that can be enjoyed by everyone.

Modern Jive is a form of dance that is taught by many different  companies such as Ceroc, Leroc and Dance Yourself Dizzy. Although each company has its own individual way of doing things they are all teaching Modern Jive.

One of the biggest differences between Modern Jive and more conventional dances is the way that it is taught. Generally more relaxed, easy going and fun than standard dance classes, the emphasis at Modern Jive nights is as much on having fun and socializing as it is on dancing. You will rarely get bogged down with complicated or precise foot work instructions instead the emphasis is on learning moves as a whole and to a standard where you can successfully dance it rather than learning the move precisely and taking great pains to make sure that your weight is on this foot or that foot or that you arm is bent at the precise angle. The big advantage of this is that you can learn the moves faster and then once you can dance the move in its basic form you can then apply your own style to it depending on other factors such as the music you are dancing to or even just your own abilities. Most Modern jive classes will be treated more as an evening out rather than a one or two hour dance class that you attend religiously once a week.  

So we know its easy to learn but what music can I dance to and where will I get a chance to use it?

The biggest draw back of some dances, such as traditional Ballroom dancing, has got to be that you spend loads of money and time learning to do it but then there is nowhere to put what you have learnt into practice. It is true to say that most dance schools will have extra events and dance nights where you can use your newly acquired skills but these are still generally not enough. This is where Modern Jive really comes into its own. Most Modern Jive moves can be done in a reasonably confined area because both you and your partner stay within a small radius of your starting position, unless you choose to do otherwise. This means that you can practice at home making the learning process much quicker.

Then, when you are ready to show the world what you can do, there are no shortage of places to strut your funks stuff. Because Modern Jive can be danced to a huge variety of music you will be able to dance at nearly any event you go to where music is played such as family party's, weddings, holidays and so on.

The final point to set Modern Jive apart from some other dance styles is the fact that although it is a partner dance you do not need to go to the lessons with a partner. Because of the way most classes are structured  you will find that you will continually change partners so that if there is an imbalance of men to women every one can still take part. This may sound very daunting to a new comer but it is actually a very affective way to learn because it stops anyone getting stuck at a particular point in the class because the chances are that the next partner you dance with will not be stuck on the same point as you so you help each other out. You will also find that learning in this way also introduces you to a large amount of people who are in the same boat as you. When the class is finished you will then feel comfortable dancing with each other and getting plenty of practise.

Find out more
To find out what goes on at a typical Modern Jive night take a look at a Dance Yourself Dizzy Class Night and you will see what you can expect when you go to a Modern Jive venue for the first time.