International Jive

Jive, the ballroom dance style, originated in the United States and was based on the uninhibited style of Swing dancing known as Jitterbug. As a fast high energy dance jive adds a distinctive style to ballroom dancing. It is danced on a pattern of 6 beats to music written in 4/4 time. The number of steps taken per 6 beat interval; single, double, or triple, depends on the speed and mood of the music. The additional basics add versatility and variety to this exciting dance. It features many of the same basic patterns of East Coast Swing though its rhythms differ drastically.

The term “Jive” originated in the 1930’s and referred to something foolish. As American soldiers brought Jitterbugging to Europe in the 1940’s variations such as the Boogie-Woogie and Swing Boogie emerged. A famous ballroom dancer, Alex Moore, remarked that the jive from this era wasn’t the prettiest dance he’d ever seen. Europeans continued to refine the dance and eventually ballroom jive appeared in the 1990’s. Today, ballroom jive is characterised by a lightness of spirit, with lots of kicking, rocking hips, and pulsing.