Jive is a very energetic and peppy partner dance style created by the African-Americans and became popular since the 1930’s. Its is a form of ballroom dancing and a favourite in the US dance competitions. Its said to be a variation of the jitterbug and is inspired by the Boogie, Rock & Roll, African/American Swing, and Lindyhop.
Jive is considered to be very similar to a dance called “East Coast Swing” in terms of the basic dance steps and type of music.
It is said that the word “Jive” was coined from an expression which means ‘glib or foolish talk’. In addition, it is also said that dance styles such as the ‘boogie woogie’ and ‘swing boogie’ have been derived from jive.
History/origin of Jive Dance:
Jive is a type of ‘ballroom‘ dance is said to have originated from the United States of America, and was made popular in 1934 by jazz singer Cab Calloway.
It is also said that the popularity of this dance reached its peak during the World War II when it caught the fancy of US soldiers. It is through these soldiers that this dance style then became popular in Europe, and became a trend especially amongst the younger generation.
After having gained popularity gradually during the world war period, it was eventually in the year 1968 that jive was officially recognized as an international Latin dance style.
This dance form is said to have originated in the United States of America, and was introduced by an African-American jazz singer Cab Calloway. Furthermore, it is also said that the popularity of this dance reached its peak during the World War II when it caught the fancy of US soldiers.
It is through these soldiers that this dance style then became popular in Europe, and became a trend especially amongst the younger generation.
After having gained popularity gradually during the world war period, it was eventually in the year 1968 that jive was officially recognized as an international Latin dance style.
Costumes used in the Jive Dance:
Since this dance is performed by both males and females the costume worn varies accordingly. They are as follows
For women:
- The costume worn includes a colorful short dress and a pair of high heel shoes.
- The costume worn includes a colorful short dress and a pair of high heel shoes.
For men:
The costume worn includes a colorful short dress and a pair of high heel shoes.
The attire includes an overcoat, a shirt, a trouser, and a pair of dancing shoes.
Music involved in the Jive:
This dance style is usually performed to the swing music at a tempo of approximately 200 beats per minute. In addition, this dance can also be performed to “energetic” music such as Rock and Roll and Boogie Woogie.
Training availability and the technique involved in the Jive:
There are four key steps involved in the Jive. They are as follows:
- Positioning: The performers i.e. male and female face one another with their arms placed in a closed position.
- Rock Step: In this step the male places his left foot back while the female places her right foot back.
- Positioning to the left: In this step the man moves to the left, and the woman moves to the right.
- Positioning to the right: In this step the man moves to the right, and the woman moves to the left.
In terms of training availability, since this “Latin” dance style is extremely popular, there are a number of schools available all around the globe for all those interested in learning this highly “energetic” dance form.
How to dance the Jive (Jive dancing Basic tutorial video for beginners):
The following 3 videos show the basic steps of the Jive explaining how to do the Jive dance. All these 3 YouTube channels provide extensive tutorials covering the basics of Jive dancing for beginners.