Beware Watching Videos!
This site started out with text, moved to animations and finally has videos.
New visitors seem to be drawn straight to watching videos. Why?
Probably because they are a cool technology and this site supports many very
compressed formats to make them accessible to most visitors even with 56k
modems. However, there are dangers:
- To learn modern jive, you need to know what position you need to attain at
the next count. This is tricky to determine with videos, even if you try
and slow them down or pause them. The gallery pictures and animations
show this better and are constructed in such a way as critical features are
not hidden by body parts.
- The footwork shown is only one possibility. To learn more about
modern jive footwork, go to the home page and
select advice - improvers - footwork - which feet to use. There is
not just one answer! This site supports the notion that strict footwork
is not necessary in modern jive. You may therefore find moves that start
with a step back on one foot and end so that a repeat of the move would start
on the other foot. DO NOT TRY AND IMITATE THE FOOTWORK ON THE VIDEOS!
If you do, then you may constrain or ruin your style!
It is suggested that you use the videos to show the "flow" of the moves, ie
what they look like and whether you wish to learn them.
Beware too any dips and air-steps. They may look
easy, but that is only because the right technique is being used. You MUST
consult safety under help or advice
on the home page before attempting these moves.