Jive

What Is Jive?

Jive is the fastest of the five International Latin ballroom dances, characterised by lively kicks, flicks and a bouncy, upbeat rhythm. It developed from American Jitterbug and Lindy Hop in the 1940s and was standardised for ballroom competition in the mid-twentieth century.

The dance is performed to upbeat music at a brisk tempo and involves energetic footwork, kicks and swing-out movements that make it visually exciting to watch and physically demanding to perform.

Jive is distinct from social swing styles such as Lindy Hop, having been formalised into the stricter technique of competitive ballroom dance.

Learning Jive in London

Jive is widely taught and practiced in London, both within the ballroom dance community and among social dancers interested in upbeat partner dancing. Many ballroom studios include jive as part of their Latin programme.

Social dance events and competitions regularly feature jive, making it easy to find performance opportunities after learning the basics.

Jive classes in London are widely available at ballroom studios and social dance schools. Beginners learn the basic step pattern, kicks and swing movements before progressing to more complex figures.

The style is often taught alongside other Latin ballroom dances as part of a comprehensive partner dance curriculum.