"Modern Jive - A perspective" - Marc & Rachel

[Magic Hans]

The following is a direct transcript of an article that I picked up after Marc's Hip Hip session at Southport. I thought it was such a great piece that it deserved sharing - but only with the permission of Marc and Rachel, which I just got! Please read, enjoy, and comment!



"Modern Jive: the lead/follow of moves which are loosely based around existing partnered dance styles."

For many people, modern jive is their first taste of partner dancing. Regardless of the brand name (Ceroc, Leroc, etc), the basic principles tend to be the same. A hybrid collection of moves from ballroom, swing and rock & roll provide an adequate starting point in the quest to become a competent freestyle dancer. It is through trial and error that we develop styles to suit all circumstances with no rule book to govern our actions. The main focus of any night is the "freestyle" session.

In many respects, modern jive is still in its infancy. Most of what happens in the dance floor is undocumented. Ask yourself what it is that you do and have discovered yourself without the assistance of friends or teachers to lead the way. Freestyle by its very nature is the quest for the impossible. Never met before, yet hitting the beast and beating the odds is a familiar story for many people. Only after dances like these are we able to understand that it is that makes modern jive unique.

After the induction period, it is easy to reach that plateau of simple timing, basic moves and jerky leading or following. It requires effort to go beyond the norm. Most weekly classes have enough time to concentrate on the bare essentials without touching on the subjects which are out of reach for the majority of the class. Many valuable insights occur during every dance. If you blink you will miss them.

It is essential to look to improve you understanding and take action against what feels natural by placing the thoughts and the feeling of others above what you understand to be right. By becoming a more versatile dancer, it no longer becomes a question of who's right or wrong. Instead you instincively know how to relax or when to push the boundaries and, if called for go to extremes by breaking all the rules set out in a typical modern jive class. The next step to mastery is "musicality".

In short, musicality ensures that your movements fit the muscial arrangement. For example, when the song suddenly changes mid-way through for a brief vocal solo (a breakdown), instead of completing his First Move Return, the leader reacts by setting up a freeze. The follower then has the invitation to solo dance the remainder of the bar. At this time, she is working directly in harmony with the vocal. The trick is in knowing when to come together as a unit just before the end of the bar. Once the song returns to its regular format, it's business as usual. The result is that you both stand out from the crowd. Breaking up the constant pattern of move after move after move after move after move, should be mandatory.

As a leader, your goal is to allow the follower to feel the music through the timing of all movement generated within your body. The reason you included that dip, was because it fit within the song structure and not because it's your favourite move that you always do regardless of the song position or style. As a follower, you become almost another instrument, working in harmony with the arrangement. Feeling the rhythm within & riding the beats. The leader feeds off your enjoyment. On the surface, it's him leading you. Underneath, it's the follower who is in control. Regardless of the physical movements, it's how you react emotionally that produces the best dances. If it feels great, let him know. He will be back with an added aura of confidence.

When you have a philosphy that allows you to dance with any partner, regardless of their experience and still feel relatively comfortable, you may find you no longer enjoy the same sensations you once did. A near perfect dance is to be expected every time and, even though you may have potential partners queuing up the street, the challenge has diminished. Some poeple look for an answer by becoming specialist in other dance forms. The danger is that, during the course of a typical modern jive night, the DJ may not play all the music to show off your new found talent to the full. Bummer!

A realistic approach that works for many of the top dancers in the scene today is to become a "jack of all trades". By learning the basics of Swing, Salsa, Ballroom, West Coast Swing, tango, Blues and even Hip Hop, people will see you as the Mac Daddy (or Mac Mummy) of cool. Each dance has its own emotion, so that during the course of a modern jive freestyle session, you can touch upon the happy go lucky nature of swing, reward you partner by cuddling up close for the blues track and finally blow everyone away with some partnered hip hop. The effect is that you change character to represent the music to the full. A full physical and emotional workout to soothe away the troubles of the day sounds dandy. Luckily the skill will take many years to develop, allowing yourself and others every opportunity for maximum fun along the way.

[bigdjiver]

A good piece of work, which requires deliberation.


I was wondering which of them wrote most of it, but have the clue from "hitting the beast"

[Rachel]

A good piece of work, which requires deliberation.


I was wondering which of them wrote most of it, but have the clue from "hitting the beast"

Wow - it's actually quite shocking (& embarrassing) to see your name as part of a thread title. Although, yes, I had just said to Ian that it was fine to post the article. Thank you, Ian, for saying that you considered it that interesting.

I have to say, though, that I had absolutely nothing to do with the writing of this - either the content or the language. It's all Marc's work - he just gets these streams of consciousness every now & then. I think my name's only on there so he had someone to blame the spelling mistakes on!

Rachel x

[Rachel]

Ah, just remembered - I do occasionally have some editorial input where censorship is an absolute necessity. I think he had some analogy in this or another piece that went along the lines of 'why pay the pimp when you can get it so much cheaper direct from the whore ... ' Where does he get these things from???!

I also always delete any reference he ever makes to moonwalking ...
R.

[David Franklin]

Ah, just remembered - I do occasionally have some editorial input where censorship is an absolute necessity. I think he had some analogy in this or another piece that went along the lines of 'why pay the pimp when you can get it so much cheaper direct from the whore ... '

OK, I give up, what on earth was this an analogy to? Has Marc been corrupted forever by the Big Love Show?

Well written and thought provoking article, however...

Dave

[Dreadful Scathe]

yet hitting the beast and beating the odds is a familiar story for many people.

Is it ? I must be unlucky in life, the beast always seems to smack me around the face with the odds

[bigdjiver]

Is it ? I must be unlucky in life, the beast always seems to smack me around the face with the odds

A lot of it about. Write a pageful of good stuff , and the first response you get is about a typo

[Rachel]

OK, I give up, what on earth was this an analogy to? Has Marc been corrupted forever by the Big Love Show?

Well written and thought provoking article, however...

Dave

Absolutely no idea! I don't think it even made sense to me at the time. And that was one of the cleanest of his analogies!

Unfortunately, I think Marc was corrupted looong before the Big Love....
R.

[Dreadful Scathe]

A lot of it about. Write a pageful of good stuff , and the first response you get is about a typo

the 5th response you mean, anyway it wasnt a criticism - it was a joke. Let that not detract from the excellent post, if it wasnt good I wouldn't have made the effort to post something stupid to try my best to trivialise the whole thing sheesh - dont you READ my other posts ?

[Magic Hans]

Is it ? I must be unlucky in life, the beast always seems to smack me around the face with the odds

Yes ... well spotted DS!!! .... I'd checked through a number of times, and either missed that one , or subconsiously left it in!!

Now I'm kinda hoping that you're detailed enough to have found all the typo's in!! .... that way I can save my blushes for another post!!

In any case, I would suggest any reps go to Rachel for this post, and not me ... as I am simply the messenger [... and a damned simple one at that!!]

... carry on!!

Ian

[Rachel]

Yes ... well spotted DS!!! .... I'd checked through a number of times, and either missed that one , or subconsiously left it in!!

Now I'm kinda hoping that you're detailed enough to have found all the typo's in!! .... that way I can save my blushes for another post!!

In any case, I would suggest any reps go to Rachel for this post, and not me ... as I am simply the messenger [... and a damned simple one at that!!]

... carry on!!

Ian

Oh Ian - if only you'd asked, and I hadn't been so stupid, I could have given you the electronic version. Then you really could have blamed all the typos on us!!

I actually think these notes were left overs from another workshop Marc did. He has actually done some which were more specific to hip hop. I could try to find them, if you like. ?

Yes, good idea - give me all the reps you can for managing to live with such a warped and corrupt individual!
Rachel

[Martin]

I tried to read it, and failed 2 times (too long for me after 3 wines), on the 3rd reading - all I could think is Rachel, what have you been feeding him?

Martin

[bigdjiver]

the 5th response you mean, anyway it wasnt a criticism - it was a joke. Let that not detract from the excellent post, if it wasnt good I wouldn't have made the effort to post something stupid to try my best to trivialise the whole thing sheesh - dont you READ my other posts ?

I do mean the first response, don't you read mine?

[Jive Brummie]

Call me old fashioned but i thought it was a top notch piece of writing.

Knowing Marc, and trying to visualise him writing this, he'd have had his eyes shut, in the zone popping the odd double/treble spin , giving it the big one...

...nice one mate...i like it

James

[Martin]

Call me old fashioned but i thought it was a top notch piece of writing.

Knowing Marc, and trying to visualise him writing this, he'd have had his eyes shut, in the zone popping the odd double/treble spin , giving it the big one...

...nice one mate...i like it

James

He was certainly popping something James

[Jive Brummie]

He was certainly popping something James

[jockey]

I got most out of the para starting.."As a leader...
This included the concept that the follower plays an emotional feedback role - i love to get a positive emotional response from my partner and it definitely powers that dance and the next one and the next one. I can trigger such a response by saying something (in the right way...) and her face lights up in such a way I swear she has no idea that this is a smiley dance and that what you do with your eyes etc matters.. You reap what you sow in MJ

[MartinHarper]

Freestyle by its very nature is the quest for the impossible. Never met before, yet hitting the [beat] and beating the odds is a familiar story for many people. Only after dances like these are we able to understand that it is that makes modern jive unique.

I might be misunderstanding the last sentence. Surely dancing well with someone you've never met before is a common element to most partner dances? It hardly seems something unique to MJ. It is a magical feeling, certainly.

[Simon r]

Marc
ive just remembered why i like you so much....
this is so you, down to earth and you have really captured the feeling.
Great piece, seem to remember us having a conversation at 4.00 am at Camber hitting these fab points,we could have talked for hours
Rachel give him a big hug from me...

[Minnie M]

This thread was created when my lap top was in computer hospital .... (firswt time I have seen it) thought I would reserect it for the new forumites have some rep Rachel great words (is Marc a registered forumite ?)