[Franck]

Originally posted by DavidB

What do you mean by style?

Style is what makes the dance look good to anyone watching. It is not as clear-cut as that though, as what looks good (especially to your partner) also influences how the dance feels. So looks and feel are inter-mingled.

Can you learn style if you ignore technique?

Of course! The simplest style things you can add to your dance have nothing to do with technique: smiling / eye contact / fun / awareness of the music and musical interpretation will all give you style even if your technique is poor or non-existent (the French are masters in this art: the triumph of confidence over ability!)

Do you go to a style workshop to develop your own style, or copy someone else's? (Good luck to anyone who can copy Victor & Lydia!!)

Initially to copy someone elseÕs style, but it is not a simple matter of dancing like V&L as on their style workshops they teach many different techniques and style points that you can pick and choose from to eventually build your own style based on your current level of ability, personal preference and even body shape!

The emphasis in Modern Jive is almost exclusively on doing moves. Contrast this to the emphasis in Ballroom dancing, where the emphasis is on technique, and Lindy (I'm told) & West Coast Swing, where it is on musical interpretation. So can Modern Jive style be defined as how well you make a complicated move look?

I partially disagree on this point. While we do indeed teach over 500 moves, the emphasis is on getting complete beginners to dance on their first night, and from then on to get them to progress and enjoy themselves very quickly. The emphasis is on simplifying the moves to remove the technical and styles barriers which prevent so many people from even trying to dance!
It is easier to add technique / style once you have the enthusiasm / passion for dancing than the other way. Most people (Beginners) typically give up dance classes where they are taught techniques and style points that are aimed at competition level, from the first class!

I always think that Modern Jive feels better than it looks. I'm still trying to work out why.

Well, that is important, how it feels should be the determining factor above all others. Dancing is a fun and very rewarding experience. What you share with your partner on the dance floor is unique and often magical.
However, saying it feels better than it looks is misleading. Modern Jive can and does look great. I have lost count of how many times beginners who have been learning only a few weeks said they had been to a wedding / party / function or other and ended up the centre of attention with rounds of applause after practising a few basic Ceroc moves... It is possible that your view is jaded by experience, the more you know about dancing, the more you expect!
I find nothing more rewarding than a new couple discovering the joys of a simple routine in Freestyle and grinning all the way, and yes, they look great.

Are there any Modern Jive couples you would stop dancing so you could watch?

Many, as demonstrated recently at the Champs... I do not know all their names, but I have often stopped just to watch and be inspired.

I hope the above makes sense (despite the length of the post). All the questions you raise are really interesting and I would be interested in more views...

Franck.