French Jive and Le Roc

[Sagitta]

Frodo brought up the topic of different jive styles. Refering to LeRoc he said:

Regardless of the naming it grew out of French style Jive imported into the UK in the 1980's and adapted. I think it is mostly danced in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.


I just spoke to a French girl the other day and she said that the French jive style is nothing like jive as we know it here in the States. Unfortunately she didn't seem able to show me what it was like. She did say that it is really popular and easy to dance to. Then Frodo said of Le Roc:

It is a very accessible dance, with little emphasis on footwork, that can be danced to a wide range of music.

So I'm curious as to what exactly these dances look like, if there are basic steps...?

Are any of the international DF's out there able to fulfill my curiosity, or perhaps one of the locals who have gone abroad?

[pygmalion]

Good questions, Sagitta. I'm curious too. :roll: :?:

[Frodo]

...
Regardless of the naming it grew out of French style Jive imported into the UK in the 1980's and adapted. ...
...
I just spoke to a French girl the other day and she said that the French jive style is nothing like jive as we know it here in the States. Unfortunately she didn't seem able to show me what it was like. She did say that it is really popular and easy to dance to.
...
So I'm curious as to what exactly these dances look like, if there are basic steps...?
...


It does not have a basic step as such. Instead there are around 25 beginners moves simple enough for most people to try on their first night. Three or four of these are taught in a routine in every beginners class.

I never really thought about what the French do nowadays, but am also a little curious, especially with your mention of what the French girl said about it.


Some web links:-


A good explanation of Modern Jive/LeRoc/Ceroc/French Jive can be found at:-
http://www.howtojive.com/intro-ceroc-leroc.htm

A moves database (and another explanation) may be found at:-
http://www.jiveoholic.org.uk

One organisation posts video clips of past lessons:-
http://www.jivebug.co.uk/html/lessons.html

The biggest UK web forum related to Modern Jive:-
http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/

[pygmalion]

Cool web sites, frodo. Now I'm dying to do the dance, or at least see it done. Anybody -- is ballroom jive a good place to start? I'm not planning a trip to Europe for a while, but I'd love to get started, and I can learn jive from quite a few teachers near me. Thoughts?

[Sagitta]

Wow! That all I can say. I checked out the site with video clips of past lessons and I see ECS, balboa, jump swing, WCS, charleston, lindy...many swing variations...

So, I really don't think learning jive over here is really the way to start.

I think I could do Le Roc.

No wonder the French girl at the Cornell ballroom club said she couldn't dance American jive! If the French style is anything like Le Roc then our jive is a completely different beast!

[pygmalion]

Ha! I found a dance studio in NYC that teaches modern jive. :D So Europe isn't the only place. 8) I wonder if there's anything in Florida? Hmm.
modernjiveusa.com

[tasche]

I remeber learning a routine in high school for a pe class in ceroc. Its pretty simple, like a night club dance. I dont rember the steps but I remember we danced to disco inferno