Jive Dance: Learn the History and Characteristics of Jive Dance

Jive dance is one of a collection of different dance styles that originated with swing music in the early twentieth century. It is an energetic, upbeat partner dance with one partner leading and the other following. Jive dance relies heavily on kicking and spinning, which makes it very similar to East Coast swing dance.

This dance style has origins in the early US jazz music scene of the late 1920s and early 1930s. Modern jive refers to one of the five ballroom competition dance styles that make up the International Latin dances in dance sport showcases, along with cha-cha, samba, rumba, and paso doble.

Jive first rose to popularity as a Black American social dance in jazz dance halls and swing clubs in the United States in the early twentieth century. Its name is derived from “jive talk,” which was a vernacular slang term used in the Black community at the time meaning “deceptive talk.”

In the 1930s, swing musicians like Cab Calloway attracted large crowds of jive dancers at big band venues like New York’s Savoy Ballroom. Later on, jive became the generic term that referred to several forms of swing dancing, including jitterbug, boogie-woogie, and the Lindy hop.

The dance gradually moved across the United States, diverging into separate styles of East Coast swing and West Coast swing as the dance mutated. Jive eventually made its way to Europe, with “jive” becoming a synonym for “swing.” In 1968, jive was accepted as the fifth International Latin dance in competitive ballroom dancing. A modern jive rendition called French jive developed in the late twentieth century, which is typically performed to popular music.

Here are some of the qualities that differentiate jive dancing from other styles of ballroom dance.

1. 1. Fast-paced: Jive dancing is one of the fastest styles within the International Latin dance category. Competitive jive dancers perform their routines at a tempo of 176 beats per minute. Jive is often performed to swing or rock music, giving it a faster speed and a higher energy.
2. 2. Bouncy: Jive dancers move lighter on their feet than many other dancers. It is an energetic, peppy dance that is characterized by bouncy footwork full of small jumps and kicks.
3. 3. Energetic partner work: There is a heavy emphasis on attached partner work in jive dance, including sharp changes in direction, quick spins, as well as the leading partner lifting the following partner and throwing them around.
4. 4. Uses a small part of the floor: Partners that are performing jive typically stay within a small section of the dancefloor, while other ballroom dance styles involve a lot of movement throughout the floor.

1. 1. Basic jive: The basic jive step is a 6-count step with the dancers in a closed position. It begins with a rock step, where both dancers step back and forth over two counts, followed by a chassé step to the side and another chassé step back to the other side.
2. 2. Throwaway: A throwaway is the same as the basic jive step, but the dancers transition to an open position during the second chassé.
3. 3. American spin: The American spin begins with the dancers attached in an open position. The dancers perform a basic jive step, then the leading partner spins the following partner into a spin on the second chassé. The following partner lets go of their hold during the spin and catches their partner’s hand at the end.
4. 4. Chicken walkers: Chicken walkers begin with both partners taking four steps. The partners place their free foot towards each other as they swivel their hips. The move is done with an open position hold, and the leading partner travels backwards as the following partner steps towards them.

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