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From: Christine Keeble (co-founded Le Roc & member original Ceroc cabaret)
Date: 24/10/2002
Time: 07:46:43
Remote Name: 217.41.36.33
This article has been reposted as it was the only one that was available. From: Christine Keeble (co-founded Le Roc & member original Ceroc cabaret) Date: 17/10/02 Time: 11:42:02 Remote Name: 80.236.40.207 Comments If we put the debate into a historical perspective I can demonstrate that there is no essential difference between le roc and Ceroc other than ownership of companies and trademarks. I feel qualified to make this claim since I was a member of the original Ceroc cabaret team founded 1982. This was when Ceroc was just a club and not a franchise operation. At the same time as performing cabaret with Ceroc, I co-founded the original Le Roc club, Leicester Square (a non profit organisation run by a committee of 20). Both the Le Roc club and the Ceroc club cabarets were trained and choreographed by the same dancer, Michel Ange Lau. Both organisations made it their goal to spread the dance far and wide and both clubs taught simultaneously out of the Centre Charles Peguy, Leicester Square. I was not the only dancer who danced with both organisations. Sylvia Coleman started off as a member of the Le Roc club cabaret team. She then went on to teach in a disco off the Gloucester Road and finally joined forces with James Cronin to develop Ceroc as a Limited Company. When things started getting more commercial I was concerned that this was denying access to the dance for anyone living outside the London area. This is why I produced the How To Jive video (later relaunched as the How To Jive - le roc French jive video). The video enabled dance teachers outside the London area to gain access to the dance. About a year later (1991) James Cronin and Sylvia Coleman decided to start franchising Ceroc and this dramatically increased the reach of the dance across the country. Their first franchisee, Rob Austin broke away to set up another franchise group called Le Jive and this spread the dance even further. Another major force in spreading the dance was the work of Michel Gay in Bristol. In the early 1980's Michel Gay came to classes at the Centre Charles Peguy. His move to Bristol was a great loss for the girls at Leicester Square but our loss was Bristol's gain and Bristol now probably has the greatest concentration of superb dancers in the country. Michel Gay originally called his classes Ceroc - but when the Ceroc club became a limited company, and had to guard its trademark, he changed the name to Le Roc Bristol. Le Roc is the generic name and free for everybody to use while Ceroc is a made up, trademarked name and is only available to franchisees. Remember, Ceroc is an abbreviation for "C'est le roc". The style and quality of teaching does vary from one teacher to another and no one can generalise on this point. As a franchise operation Ceroc is responsible for its own reputation and would be unwise to employ an ineffectual teacher. Le roc is a name free for anyone to use and as such anyone can set up shop. However, the Le Roc French Jive Federation was formed to maintain and improve teaching standards and has been hugely successful in this goal (raising the level of dance both among members and non members). No one can join the Federation without passing an exam and the Federation sets high standards. Members meet regularly to exchange knowledge and expertise. This is why Le Roc teachers tend to have the reputation for being high quality teachers (but it is worth checking whether they are Federation members). Now I live in Paris where I do not need to worry about whether I am dancing with a Cerocer or a Le Rocer. If I were to ask a Frenchman which of those he was - well I would just receive a bemused shrug and be whisked onto the dance floor - heavenly bliss!!! Anyway happy modern jiving!!!!
From: Neil H
Date: 16/05/2003
Time: 18:43:57
Remote Name: 217.41.13.17
Work like you don't need the money LOVE like you've never been hurt DANCE like there's no body watching!