Jive/Swing

Pre-Bronze/Student Teacher
1. Basic in Place
2. Fallaway Rock
3. Fallaway Throwaway
4. The Link: Flick, Ball Change
5. Change of Places Right to Left
6. Change of Places Left to Right
7. Change of Hands Behind the Back
8. Hip Bump (Left Shoulder Shove)

Bronze/Associate
9. American Spin
10. The Walks
11. Stop and Go
12. Mooch
13. Whip
14. Whip Throwaway

Silver/Licentiate
15. Reverse Whip
16. Windmill
17. Spanish Arms
18. Rolling Off the Arm
19. Simple Spin
20. Miami Special
3b. Overturned Fallaway Throwaway

Gold/Fellow
21. Curly Whip
22. Shoulder Spin
23. Toe Heel Swivels
24. Chugging
25. Chicken Walks
26. Catapult
27. Stalking Walks, Flicks into Break
6a. Overturned Change of Places Left to Right

This dance originated with the Negroes in the South East of U.S.A., where it had an affinity with the war dances of the Seminole Indians in Florida. One reference suggests that the Negroes copied it from the Indians. Another suggests that the Negroes brought the dance from Africa, and the Indians copied it. The latter is more likely, as the word "Jive" is probably derived from "Jev" meaning "to talk disparagingly" in the West African Wolof language. The word "Jive" also has a similar meaning in Negro slang :"misleading talk, exaggerations", although this could have been derived from a modification of the English word "jibe". The word has several other slang meanings : "gaudy merchandise", "marijuana", and "sexual intercourse". It is unclear whether any of these meanings predated the use of the term for the dance, and hence which is a metaphor for which.

In the 1880's, the dance was performed competitively amongst the Negroes in the South, and the prize was frequently a cake, so the dance became known as the Cake Walk. It often consisted of two parts performed alternately : a solemn procession of couples, and an energetic display dance, all done in finest clothes. The associated music became known as Ragtime, possibly because the participants dressed up in their best "rags" or clothes, or possibly because the music was syncopated and "ragged". The music and dances subsequently became popular amongst the Negroes in Chicago and New York.

This exuberant dancing and music amongst the Negroes contrasted with the limited and dour dancing of the upper white classes of the U.S.A. and U.K. in the wake of Prince Albert's death in 1861. With the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, English speaking society perhaps felt more free to engage in more and energetic dancing, and a series of simple dances based on those of the Negroes become popular in white society e.g.: the Yankee Tangle, the Texas Rag, the Fanny Bump, the Funky Butt, the Squat, the Itch, the Grind and the Mooche. Many had animal names, betraying perhaps a rural and pantomimic origin : Turkey Trot, Horse Trot, Eagle Rock, Crab Step, Buzzard Lope, Fish Walk, Camel Walk, Lame Duck, Bunny Hop, Kangaroo Dip, Grizzly Bear, and the Bunny Hug. The current Jive still has a Bunny Hug as one of the standard steps. The dances were all done to Ragtime music, with stress on beats 2 and 4, and syncopated rhythms. They all used the same elements: couples doing a walk, rock, swoop, bounce or sway. The closed position was considered by many to be indecent, and sometimes the lady wore "bumpers" to preclude body contact.

An interesting change occured around 1910, when the individual dances were brought together, and the dancers encouraged to do these in an arbitrary order. It made every male dancer into an instant choreographer. The change was described as a change of interest from steps to rhythm. It coincided with the publication of Irving Berlin's,"Alexander's Ragtime Band" in 1910, which rapidly became a worldwide hit.As Ragtime evolved into Swing through the 1920's, new dances became popular.The Charleston and Black Bottom, and the various animal steps combined to form the Lindy Hop in 1927. It was named after Charles Lindbergh who made the first solo non-stop transatlantic flight that year, because of the amount of time the dancers appeared to spend in the air. In 1934, the dance at the Savoy in Harlem was described by Cab Calloway as "like the frenzy of jittering bugs", so it soon became known as the Jitterbug.

The current version called the Jive has basic steps composed of a fast syncopated chasse (side, close, side) to the left followed by another to the right (right then left for the lady) followed by a slower break ack and replace forward. The hips are moved half a beat after each of the steps, and the weight is kept well forward with all steps being taken on the toes. In the chasses, by keeping the leading foot high on the ball of the foot, and the trailing foot fairly flat, an optical illusion is created called the "moonwalk", which gives dancer an attractive weightless appearance.

In its beginnings, in 1927, the dance became equated with youth. Older adults disapproved of it and tried to ban it from dance halls by the rationalisation that because Jive was non-progressive, it disturbed the other dancers who were progressing anti-clockwise around the dance floor. The association between youth and this dance has continued through its subsequent metamorphoses as Swing , Boogie-Woogie , B-Bop ( Beach Bop ) , Rock & Roll , Twist , Disco , Hustle and Ceroc. Young adults have always been inclined to feel alienated by insecurity from parental criticism, and inadequacy from lacks in understanding and coordination. From time to time throughout history, they have obtained emotional satisfaction by identifying with peers in a cult of dancing. Of the various responses possible to alienation: illness, crime, rebellion and cult, a dancing cult is the most benign.

As always, dance is involved in the deepest emotional responses of our personalities, and hence with the foundations of society.