Rock n Roll

[2br02b]

Hi

A newbie question, and I'm guessing this is the right forum to post this in, apologies in advance if I'm wrong!

What exactly is rock n roll jive? I know it's different from modern jive (CeRoc, Leroc...) but how is it different from what is simply called 'jive' [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]? Is it the same dance called 'rock and roll' [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. It'd be great if you could point me to some online info which talks about it. A google revealed a lot of noise but little of value in clearing this up.

I'm planning to learn jive so I want to be prepared when I decide which classes to join.

[pygmalion]

Hi 2br02b! Welcome to the forums. I don't know much about this topic, but you might want to check the thread [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. There's a bit of information there. From what I've been able to decipher, LeRoc or Ceroc (depending on which club you go to) has evolved along totally different lines than the balroom jive as done in dance competitions.

And, from what I can tell, it's difficult to find instruction in LeRoc outside of Europe. Not sure where you are, but if you're not in Europe, chances are the jive classes you're being offered are ballroom jive.

[2br02b]

Hi Pygmalion

Thanks for the pointer to the thread. From what I understand French jive/Modern jive/Ceroc/LeRoc are all the same. And since I live in India I'm unlikely to ever see them being performed, let alone taught :P

What I'd like to is how the dance called "rock n roll jive" is related to the dances called
- "jive"
- "ballroom jive"
- "rock n roll"

Can anyone help me on this?

[d nice]

I wish I could help, but I don't know enough about LeRoc to tell you how if at all it is related to Rock and Roll.

Perhaps one of our European dancers will enlighten us.

[2br02b]

And I was counting on you for help d_nice, especially after reading your excellent 'Evolution of Swing Dancing and Music - a brief overview' thread

Actually, going by the fact that so many hits for "rock n roll jive" on the web are from .co.uk sites, I hope that somebody from the UK can help me.

[Sagitta]

Well, I believe that UK/French jive/ le Roc/ Ce Roc, whatever, can be danced to a wide variety of music. It follows that rock n roll jive is just the name for the European jive moves that can be danced to rock n' roll.

Frodo is from UK so try and get in touch with him...pm him?? He probably knows more a lot more then I do. If you don't get an answer by next week I'll try and pick the brains of the French girl in ballroom class who piqued my interest in jive variations by saying she could not dance American/ballroom jive when the music was played during the club social hour.

[SDsalsaguy]

Originally Posted by Sagitta

It follows that rock n roll jive is just the name for the European jive moves that can be danced to rock n' roll.

Hmm, I'm not so sure about this... rock n' roll is actually the name of a dance category over in Europe that seems to be a couples dancing cross of aerobics and aerials (many of the cheerleading style variety).

[Vince A]

I know what jive is . . . but had to go to . . .

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

. . . to find Leroc

[pygmalion]

A little description of ballroom jive, with dance steps and video clips, can be found here.

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

[d nice]

Acrobatic Rock and Roll is actually not a social swing dance, it is a sport that was inspired by the European dance Rock and Roll. It is partnered arcrobatics (as in circus/gymnastics/cheer manuevers) and while there is music playing and a "basic step" it has about as much musical interpretation as a gymnasts floor routine.

My focus is on the American development of swing dancing, but my understanding is that Modern Jive, Le Roc, and the non-acrobatic form of Rock and Roll is that they are all inspired by the lindy hop brought to Europe by the American military.

I know UK Jive in its street form was a direct descendant of the soldiers Lindy Hop. Le Roc and Rock and Roll are both newer dances, I'm not sure how much UK Jive had to do with them.