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Beginners Jive Dance Tips 2
Use your eyes, your smile
and your brain!
Your eyes are very important to how your dance looks so FOCUS
THEM! No-one likes looking at a blank face. A face lit up
by expressively will always steal attention. It does not always
have to be a personal communication with your partner - it
can come from inside - from your ideals, from the things and
people you find inspiring. The same goes for a smile - it
can be personal or it can be part of your reportoire like
a move or stylistic flourish. A smile can not only light up
a dance and make your partner feel wonderful but it can cover
any number of errors! Make sure what is on the inside - ie
in your brain - matches what you want others to see on the
outside. If you keep thinking about your mistakes you will
draw attention to them - if the subject you are thinking about
motivates you and uplifts you then the effect will flow into
yoru dancing. (Specific techniques for developing expression
can be learnt using kinetic imagery).
Hands and arms
Once you have the desired amount of tension, let them flow
naturally. Free hands/arms should be a soft continuation of
the shape you make with your body and the shape of the two
dancers, usually a gently curve. Intermediate: You may want
to practice hand movements like "picking the apple"
or "holding the egg" (thumb and second finger almost
touching) - or any others you want to try - maybe in front
of a mirror first and see what looks right for you. You can
also import hand movements from other dance styles (eg streetdance,
flamenco, salsa, all of which have expressive hand movements).
Improving your spins
Most beginners want to improve their spins. Spinning is actually
easy as long as you obey some simple rules and practice regularly.
The general rule for which foot you turn on is simple - always
put your weight on the foot in the direction of the turn.
If you are turning to your right, put your weight on the right
foot, and if you are turning to the left then the weight should
be on your left foot. (There are many exceptions to this rule,so
go with what feels comfortable.) The weight should be on the
ball of the foot and you should feel the floor pressing back
up towards you. Never let your body rise up as you spin (only
ballet dancers go up on point). Keep your upper body level.
Keep some tension in your arms and mirror your positions on
each side. If one arm is extended and the other in close then
your centre of balance is to one side and you will go off
balance. Try tucking your arms in to your body in the direction
of turn. You can find more about spinning in a Cerocshop,
where a basic technique is taught. On the other hand, if you
have learnt how to spin using another dance style there's
probably no reason not to stick with what feels comfortable.(More
advanced spinning technique is taught by Fusion Dance and
Jump 'n' Jive.)
Look at your partner, or straight ahead. It's easy to get
dizzy or disorientated when spinning and turning otherwise.
If you keep your head up and focus on a fixed point in the
room, or your partner, then there is less chance of this happening.
Men - try to alternate the direction of turns and spins somewhat
to help avoid making your partner dizzy.
Keep your body (trunk) erect - if you bend or hunch you will
fall off balance. Ballet dancers use the image of "hanging
baskets" to remind them stay tall and straight - think
of the head as a hanging basket, the shoulders and rib-cage
another basket hanging from that, and so on. You have a line
of gravity extending from above your head to the stars and
to below the dance floor. Not only will it help you to spin
well but it looks far more attractive than hunched shoulders.
Spin from the hips - twisting your shoulders will knock you
off balance without giving much turning motion. Men - allow
the ladies to turn under their own steam. This, at least,
is the technique in British jive and many other dances; an
exception is the New Zealand technique of assisted spin -
for this you must draw an accurate circle using a cup-grip
above the ladiy's head - this technique is used mostly on
very fast multiple spins that are part of specific moves -
eg a Double-Assisted SPin Drop. If, on the other hand, you
are 'spinning' your partner (ie in the sense of letting go),
give her a good push to spin against. Keep the energy low
and aim for smooth acceleration rather than throwing yourself
into it.
Tips on aerials, airsteps and jumps
These moves are best learnt from an expert teacher.
Aerials are special moves involving jumps and throws and add
a spectacular touch to a jive routine. If you intend to include
aerials in your dancing, it's best, for safety's sake, to
practice the particular move in slow motion first with the
partner you will be dancing it with. The bigger aerials are
not suitable for social dancing (unless you want to make yourself
unpopular very quickly!) but the smaller jumps can often be
practiced without danger to other dancers. The principle teachers
of aerial moves in the UK include Andy and Rena of Jump 'n'
Jive, who run regular weekend classes on a wide number of
aerial moves together with extensive instruction in the necessary
safety precautions.
Clothing & jewellery are
important considerations. Be sure you wear clothes that don't
catch or come undone easily. Jewellery, belts, watches and
items that can catch are to be avoided. Suitable clothing
includes shoes that provide some degree of cushioning (such
as "jazz" shoes) while allowing flexibility and
a sole hard enough for normal dancing.
Social etiquette on the dancefloor
Airsteps can add colour to your dance routine but can easily
become "show-off-ish" or even dangerous on a crowded
dance floor. Many moves are designed for cabaret rather than
social dancing. Choose a time at the beginning of a session
or at the end when the dance floor is empty or quiet to practice
them - injuries can be serious! Just because the space around
you is clear as you lift a lady into, say, a superman or a
washing machine (shoulder high aerials) doesn't mean that
someone might not unwittingly dance into the space before
you put her down. Other dancers cannot be expected to anticipate
how, or where, your move will end. There are times when you
will feel confident that you can do the move safely, but remember
that if there are others around you they will not necessarily
know that. It can be very offputting to see someone's heels
a short distance from your face as you relax into travelling
wurlitzer.
Who was that stranger I saw you drop on her head?
If you intend to include aerials in your dancing, it's best,
for safety's sake, to practice the particular move in slow
motion first with the partner you will be dancing it with.
There are many similar moves in this category, even going
by the same name and signal, and injury can occur if assumptions
are made. Even if an experienced dancer asks you to include
a move, it is better to refuse or to go through the move slowly
first, off the dancefloor, than risk injury.
Balance and proportions
Although some moves are suited to very strong men with very
light partners, the main requirements for most moves are balance,
timing, momentum and an ability to spring. In most lifts,
the man merely continues the momentum of the lady in order
to extend her spring. Her weight is secondary. What is more
important when it comes to different shapes and sizes is proportion
and centre of gravity. Someone with long legs and a short
torso will have a different centre of gravity to someone with
shorter legs and a longer torso. The way of doing the move
will often involve re-balancing to allow for this and so most
aerial moves are best done with regular partners.
Tips on dips and drops and seducers
Dips, Drops and Seducers are a category of moves that, properly
executed, can add much grace and elegance to a dance routine.
As the drops usually involve the lady's head swaying toward
the floor, she should remember that she can always say "no"!
If the lady doesn't feel comfortable and confident doing a
particular drop with that partner, even if he is an experienced
dancer, it is quite OK for her to refuse to do the move, even
in the middle of a dance - after all - it's her head that
gets damaged if anything goes wrong! Some dips and drops are
included in the Ceroc repertoire but if you're serious about
learning them properly, ask someone who is New Zealand / Australia
trained (this includes one or two British Ceroc teachers)
or (in London) try Jump 'n' Jive or Fusion Dance. There are
basic techniques for men and ladies that can be applied to
the various types of dips, drops and seducers.
"No" means "No"!
Small dips tend to be social moves to try with lots of partners,
whereas the more involved ones may be more suited to regular
(fixed) partners or at least people who have trained with
the same technique. These moves can be exciting and graceful,
especially if timed with the breaks of the music (see below),
but safety has to be a consideration. As with aerials, different
partners will need to be balanced differently, so go slowly
when starting complex drops with an unfamiliar partner. Ladies
- it's your head that gets hurt if it goes wrong, so remember
to say "no" if you do not feel confident doing that
drop with that partner. Just stop, and say something like,
"we haven't done that move together." When trying
a new drop or with an unfamiliar partner, ladies can often
take as much of their own weight as possible on the inside
leg, bending it so the bum goes down to the heel, whilst sliding
the outside leg out in a straight line. Once you have developed
rapport and confidence with a partner then you may be more
trusting that he won't spoil the rest of your evening by giving
you concussion.
Men - although it varies with the drop, a general guide is
to balance the lady's centre of gravity so that it is line
with your own. In a First Move Drop, for instance, this means
judging the lunge so that her weight (approximatley mid-chest
point as a general rule) is level with your centre-line -
not pulling you to left or right. If you do the drop accurately
you can extend the lady a long way without bending your legs,
but if you do bend a leg to go down further, still keep the
shoulders back and back straight. If you bend the left leg
(or whichever leg is in the direction of the drop), turn the
foot outwards so your knee avoids the lady's line of descent.
Ladies - keep the balls of both feet on the floor until you
are practiced. Go down "bum to heel" with the leg
nearest your partner, taking your weight. Stretch the outer
leg out straight and turn the foot slightly to keep the ball
near the floor. Later you may want to add a kick or bend one
at the knee, but avoid letting a straight leg wave about in
the air (it looks naff!). As you drop, try to tense your tummy
muscles - this will give you more "bounce", keep
your body shaped, and make you feel lighter to your partner.
In a basic (eg for a First Move) drop, your head may be turned
out slightly as you go to end the move. If you want to add
some style with free hand movements (eg hand trailed along
the body and into the air), these should generally be close
to your body - waving an arm out away from from you in any
direction except over your head will tend to pull you and
your partner off balance.
Musical breaks
Jive is mostly danced to music with a strong eight-beat. As
you get used to a particular record you will be able to judge
where the "breaks" in the music are to add dramatic
touches to your dance routine. If you have a good ear, you
can also count the bars and so predict where the next break
will be. Breaks are taught at some of the specialist Ceroc
Style workshops and also by other teachers such as Nigel Anderson
of Jump 'n' Jive.
Tips on 'Dirty Dancing' and
close moves
Dirty Dancing refers to dance moves and styles popularised
by the movie of the same name. It includes many romantic and
sexy moves but avoiding tackiness. There is also a training
video available called "Swayze Dancing", taught
by Patrick Swayze (a dancer of many years experience before
he entered movies) and his mother, a world-famous choreographer
and dance instructor.
This style of dancing is based
on the movie of the same name and actually includes several
types of routine - from fast Mambo-based ones to the rather
raunchier moves seen earlier in the movie. The challenge is
to make the dance look sexy rather than tacky. Dirty Dancing
workshops are held by several dance groups including CerocMetro
, Rebel Roc and also Nigel and Nina of Jump 'n' Jive . There
is also an excellent training video called Swayze Dancing
- where Patrick Swayze (who qualified at several top dance
schools), various dancers, and Swayze's mother Patsye (a well-established
dance instructor in her own right) take the viewer through
various routines and moves. The key is that a "Dirty
Dancing" move looks sexy - it's not about how it feels.
Approaching the move professionally will inspire confidence
in your partner and improve your dancing (on the other hand
if you and your lover want a sexy dance there are much better
places than a crowded Ceroc dance floor!) Who you do these
moves with depends on general acceptability amongst other
things - in New Zealand (where dancers are graded) one advanced
dancer would probably not think twice about doing a close
move with another advanced dancer if it was appropriate to
the music, but in Britain there is a great emphasis on social
fun, so it is important that your dancing isn't taken for
"sexy fun" in an unwanted way. Attempting sexy moves
with a beginner, or with someone you don't know when you don't
really know the move, are generally pitfalls to watch out
for. There is a saying in British Jive that you should only
dance close moves with someone you know well, but this will
not necessarily apply to pairs of more experienced dancers
who recognise each other's professionalism.
Dirty Dancing moves and close, or closed, moves are not necessarily
the same. Gently prolonged and deliberate eye contact with
enough distance for it to be observed generally looks sexy.
Laybacks, and some aerials on the other hand, whilst involving
close contact are not generally seen as very sexy moves. Hip
isolations look sexier when they are well-practiced rather
than "natural". And remember, what you are thinking
will probably be portrayed in your dancing!
If you feel a partner is getting closer than you would like,
simply use a spare hand to create some air space between you.
Failing that, tell them you don't feel comfortable with the
move right now.
There are also 'closed' as opposed to 'close' moves - they
aren't necessarily sexy moves but they involve a certain amount
of body contact. More advanced dancers, especially New Zealand
or Australian, will routinely execute such moves without self-consciousness,
whereas the average British ceroccer tends to adapt moves
for social considerations of 'body space'.
Is Ceroc different to other
modern jive groups?
The Ceroc Network
Ceroc has a highly organised franchise system that means there
are Ceroc classes in most major cities. You can learn Ceroc
in Glasgow and then drop in to Nottingham or London and find
the same welcome, the same moves and format and, most of all
a social network that welcomes you at any stage, complete
beginner or advanced.
Teaching - standards and consistency
There are many good jive classes about - some have excellent
teachers some have enthusiastic dancers who want to teach.
But in Ceroc there is at least some consistency - all teachers
are qualified to at least a benchmark by lengthy training,
using a recognised formula to teach hundreds of moves in the
same way. This consistency of teaching makes Ceroc one of
the easiest dances to learn.
Is 'Ceroc' the same as 'Jive'?
A benchmark of British Ceroc is its use of a moves book for
teaching moves in a set way. Musically and to most appearances,
Ceroc is indistinguishable from the Jive taught by most other
Jive groups, better or worse. Some (often smaller) advanced
jive groups such as Jump 'n' Jive or New Zealand Ceroc teach
from dance principles - which might be harder for the beginner
but give teachers more individual freedom for excellence.
See also differences between British and New Zealand Ceroc.
Blues
Blues is a form of dance currently enjoying a resurgence.
Principally researched, popularised and taught by Nina and
Nigel of Jump 'n' Jive, Blues allows for slow, atmospheric
dancing with sizzling (and sometimes spectacular) flourishes
and tempo changes.
You will probably want to spend some time learning set moves
and routines to begin until you feel comfortable with the
beat, the formal and less formal style, the general dancefloor
etiquette for Blues and so on. Then you will want to build
free interpretation into your Blues dancing. Whilst choreographed
move routines are sometimes seen on the blues dance floor,
experienced blues dancers will tend to use Blues techniques
to free-flow from one form to another. My personal aim is
usually to use as few set moves as possible.
Ideas from many other forms of dancing can be adapted and
incorporated into Blues with great effect - eg jive, salsa,
tango, zydeco, even aerials. Mix them carefully till you achieve
a victory of irrestibible style over routine. |
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