Jive Dance

Jive Dance: An Introductory Note

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Jive dance is a specific type of ballroom dancing that is popular as a dancing style in a meter of four quarter notes per measure. Tidbits on jive dance make it apparent that jive dancing is a lively and unrestrained form of Jitterbug, a definite and typical swing dance. The most striking aspect of jive dance form is the speed with which it is performed. Jive dancing is done with tremendous energy and it takes up a lot of space.

The origin of the word “jive” is not really known but it is likely to signify “jive talk” or badmouthing. Thus the word highlights the significant aspects of jive dance and shows that it is a loud and bold type of dance.

Jive is considered to be a faster version of the swing dance form and it is known that dancers taking part in jive competitions dance at a speed within 32 to 44 bars per minute.

Jive dance is popular as one of the five international Latin dances and particularly in this dancing form, dancers use energetic movements by consistently using the balls of the feet.

Jive Dance: Its History & Evolution

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Sources reveal that Jive dance originated in the United States during the early 1940s and African-Americans were credited for the origination of jive dancing in the United States. Pertaining to jive dance, it is striking that African American slaves are known to be the oldest practitioners of jive dance form. Further, according to specific sources, Jive dance is considered to have developed from an American dance form that is known as the Jitterbug, by removing its acrobatic elements and certain lifts.

After the origination of the jive dance in the United States, it spread to the European countries slowly and in the United Kingdom, the popularity of this dance form coincided with that of Rock n Roll. However, soon after branching out to UK, the jive dance form was tailored to fit the new music style.

Further, at the hands of the French, jive dance was made simple to a significant extent and when the Frenchmen mixed it with conventional French dances, the modern jive dance sprang to life. However, throughout the years, it is observed that jive dance has been subjected to frequent modifications to match different musical trends and is reduced to a smaller format so that it becomes convenient for the masses to opt for this dance form. Altogether, it is known that the jive dance form has been considerably influenced by the American Swing, Rock & Roll and the Boogie.

In the current times, the jive dance form is extant in two forms: one form is based on the developed style of jive dancing while the other jive dance form has evolved from the original African beat.

Jive Dance: The Conclusion

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Learning and practicing the fast-paced jive dance is definitely an effective cardiovascular exercise but the most beneficial part of jive dance is that it functions as a medium for releasing stress and tension of the dancer as well as that of his partner.

Moreover, jive dance is a totally exciting and energetic dance activity and hence one should not miss a chance to learn this art of dancing at the slightest opportunity.

The Best Possible Way To Learn Jive Dance: A Glance

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Apart from joining jive dance classes, it is also possible to learn jive dance from the jive dance videos available in the market. For your convenience, it is noteworthy that jive CDs and videos by the renowned dance instructor Louis Van Amstel have easy to learn information and instructions for learning this unique dance form.

The Jive CDs by Louis are cheaply priced in comparison to the other dance Videos and overall these CDs contain informative dance lessons as well as step-by-step instructions on jive dancing. However, there are also other jive CDs available in the market that you can get hold of and learn jive dancing steps but the Louis Van Amstel CDs are more beneficial on various counts. Some of these specific advantages offered by Louis dancing course are that it infuses romance into your life, reduces your fear of dancing. This course further helps you to trim your body and bolster your confidence to express yourself in the most effective manner.

What is more is that one can buy Louis Van Amstel CDs online. If you are lucky you may just get your copy of the CD at a discounted price.