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Jeté**Jive**Jitterbug**Judging**Judging Criteria**Judges' perception**Judging System**Juice**Jump (Freestyle)
home
J
A l B
l C l D
l E l F
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l I l J
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l O l P
l Q l R
l S l T
l U l V
l W l X
l Y l Z
Jeté**Jive**Jitterbug**Judging**Judging Criteria**Judges' perception**Judging System**Juice**Jump (Freestyle)
JETÉ ('thrown'): A
jump from one foot to the other foot, throwing the working leg out.
JETÉ (Freestyle):
Propulsion of the body weight from one foot to the other, either forward
or to the side.
JITTERBUG is a bouncy, playful style of swing which was danced to early rock-n-roll, rock-a-billy and swing music. Originally done by whites in the 30s/40s imitating blacks doing Lindy Hop. Popular music was speeding up, and the triple-step became a single-step rhythm. Essentially, single step, (mainly, but not completely) 6 count East Coast Swing, SSQQ. Buddy Schwimmer says: It's not the same as single swing. A simplified 4 step is sometimes taught and improperly called Jitterbug.
In the mid- to late '50's, some called the "Jitterbug", the "Lindy". Both seem to be what is today known as the "East Coast Swing". In those days, it was all 6 count. In South Africa the Jitterbug was referred to as the Bee-bob, a fast single-time Swing-Rock.
The basic is six counts, like single swing, just replace "touch step" with "step touch". There is real no speed advantage between doing single or double swing. Yyou can do "hold, step" in double as easily as you can do "step, hold" in single. Advanced dancers use all three ECS timings, sometimes in the same basic - some prefor the use of "step, touch, triple step, hitch step" a lot, it gives a good "look" and fits the feel of the dance well.
JIVE: This dance originated with the Negroes in the South East of USA, where it had an affinity with the war dances of the Seminole Indians in Florida. One reference suggests that the Negroes copied it from the Indians.
Another suggests that the Negroes brought the dance from Africa, and the Indians copied it. The latter is more likely, as the word 'Jive' is probably derived from 'Jev' meaning 'to talk disparagingly' in the West African Wolf language. The word 'Jive' also has a similar meaning in Negro slang: 'misleading talk, exaggerations', although this could have been derived from a modification of the English word 'jibe'.
The word has several other slang meanings, 'gaudy merchandise', 'marijuana', and 'sexual intercourse'. It is unclear whether any of these meanings predated the use of the term for the dance, and hence which is a metaphor for which. In the 1880s, the dance was performed competitively among the Negroes in the South, and the prize was frequently a cake, so the dance became known as the Cakewalk. It often consisted of two parts performed alternately: a solemn procession of couples, and an energetic display dance, all done in finest clothes.
The associated music became known as Ragtime, possibly because the participants dressed up in their best 'rags' or clothes, or possibly because the music was syncopated and 'ragged'. The music and dances subsequently became very popular among the Negroes in Chicago and New York.
This exuberant dancing and music amongst the Negroes contrasted with the limited and dour dancing of the upper white classes of the USA and UK in the wake of Prince Albert's death in 1861. With the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, society perhaps felt more free to engage in more and energetic dancing, and a series of simple dances based on those of the Negroes became popular in white society, e.g. the Yankee Tangle, the Texas Rag, the Fanny Bump, the Funky Butt, the Squat, the Itch, the Grind and the Mooche.
Many had animal names, depicting perhaps a rural and pantomimic origin: Lame Duck, Horse Trot, Grizzly Bear, Crab Step, Eagle Rock, Buzzard Lope, Turkey Trot, Kangaroo Dip, Fishwalk and Bunny Hug. The current Jive still has a Bunny Hug as one of the standard steps. The dances were all done to Rag-time music, with stress on beats 2 and 4, and syncopated rhythms.
They all used the same elements: couples doing a walk, rock, swoop, bounce or sway. The closed position was considered by many to be indecent, and sometimes the lady wore 'bumpers' to preclude body contact. An interesting change occurred around 1910, when the individual dances were brought together, and the dancers encouraged to do these in an arbitrary order.
It made every male dancer into an instant choreographer. The change was described as a change of interest from steps to rhythm. It coincided with the publication of Irving Berlin's 'Alexander's Ragtime Band' in 1910, which rapidly became a world-wide hit. As Ragtime evolved into Swing through the 1920s, new dances became popular.
The Black Bottom became popular after inclusion in the stage show 'George Whiter's Scandals' in 1926. The Foxtrot, Charleston and Black Bottom, and the various animal steps combined to form the Lindy Hop in 1927. It was named after Charles Lindbergh who made the first solo non-stop Transatlantic flight that year, because of the amount of time the dancers appeared to spend in the air.
In 1934, the dance at the Savoy in Harlem was described by Cab Calloway as 'the frenzy of jittering bugs,' so it soon became known as the Jitterbug. The current version called the Jive has basic steps composed of a fast syncopated chassé (side, close, side) to the left followed by another to the right (right then left for the lady) followed by a slower break back and replace forward.
The hips are moved half a beat after each of the steps, and the weight is kept well forward with all steps being taken on the toes. In the chassés, by keeping the leading foot high on the ball of the foot, and the trailing foot fairly flat, an optical illusion is created called the 'moon-walk', which gives the dancer an attractive weightless appearance.
Originally, in 1927, the dance became equated with youth. Adults disapproved of it and tried to ban it from dance halls by rationalising that Jive was non-progressive, it disturbed other dancers who were progressing anti-clockwise around the dance floor. The association with youth and this dance has continued through its subsequent change to Swing, Boogie-Woogie, Bee-Bop, Rock, Twist, Disco and Hustle.
Young adults have always been inclined to feel alienated by insecurity from parental criticism, and inadequacy from lack of understanding and co-ordination. From time to time throughout history, they have obtained emotional satisfaction by identifying with peers in a cult of dancing. Of the various responses possible to alienation: illness, crime, rebellion and cult, a dancing cult is the most benign. As always, dance is involved in the deepest emotional responses of our personalities, and hence with the foundations of society.
THE JIVE RHYTHM: The music of the Jive is written in 4/4 time and the beats may be accentuated as follows: 123 4; 123 4; 123 4; la2a3a4a A Tempo of 40-46 bars a minute should be used for examinations and competitions.
RHYTHMICAL EXPRESSION: Every step should be taken on the ball of the foot with the knee flexed; as the weight is taken on to the foot, the heel lowers, the knee straightens and the hips move softly in the direction of the stepping foot as the heel of the opposite foot is released from the floor. This movement is less pronounced on steps having ¾ beat value and even less on those having ¼ beat value.
THE JIVE CHASSÉ: In its basic form this is a figure of three steps; in which the first step moves to the side on count '1' (¾ beat) the second step half closes on count 'a' (¼ beat) and the third step continues to the side on count.'2' (1 beat). The Jive chassé may, however, be taken with or without turn moving in a forward, backward or sideways direction, or remaining on the spot. In the charts the term 'chassé' turning to R (or L) is sometimes used.
FOOTWORK: The weight should always be carried well over the balls of the feet, and although the footwork for a step is usually Ball-Flat, provided the correct rhythmical expression is felt in the knees, the heels need only lower towards the floor. At slow tempi the Jive chassé is usually danced as Ball-Flat on each step, or Ball-Flat, Ball, Ball-Flat. At faster tempi a more springy action is felt in the feet resulting in a footwork of Ball, Ball, Ball-Flat. The footwork is only given in the charts when an exception occurs.
NORMAL HOLD: Stand facing partner about 6 inches apart. The man should place his R hand on the lady's back under her L shoulder blade. She holds his L hand with her R hand. Arms are gently curved and the hands are held just above waist level. The lady will rest her L arm lightly on the man's R arm, following the curve of his arm to the shoulder.
JUDGING of festivals, competitions, championships, examinations and exhibitions will always be a highly sensitive subject among competitors, parents and trainers. Here we discuss a few of the theories and controversies.
Parents want to know why a certain judge will give their child a 4th place every time he/she judges their off-spring, when the other judges on the panel allot a 1st or 2nd place.
Competitors say it's unfair when trainers judge their own couples or an adjudicator who is a relative of a couple is on the panel.
Examinees can't understand how one examiner's maximum mark is always so much lower than the other examiners', because those marked by this 'low scale' examiner have no chance of winning the award in their section.
Judges have very little time in which to make their decisions. One judge may be looking at a couple while they are dancing at their best and the next judge might see that same couple faltering; or a couple could be totally obscured from the judge's view by dancing in the distance or between other couples, etc. In the case of a couple being given a 4th or a 5th place by one judge and a 1st or 2nd by the other judges every time, then that record of discrepancy should be tendered to the Chairman of Adjudicators for investigation.
Likewise, where one examiner's judging scale is markedly out of line with all the other examiners every time, then that too requires action on the part of those being hard done by.
On the question of judges marking their own pupils or even relatives, this is a difficult problem. Whether it would be possible to pick a board for any competition of any stature with judges of experience who have no pupils in the competition is doubtful.
In most countries the principle is, whenever an adjudicator's relative dances, the adjudicator of the relative sits out. Many professional competitors believe that some judges, who have strong connections with one or other of the various associations of teachers of dancing, tend to favour competitors who support the particular association. It has been claimed that judges favour couples who come from their own particular part of the country. A northern judge is supposed to favour a northern couple, a southern judge to favour couples from the south and so on.
Conversely, it is sometimes held that competitors who have schools of dancing in the same area as a judge, suffer as a result of the judge not wishing to improve the general standing of the competitor in his business as a teacher of dancing.
The responsibility for the organisation and the success of the championship rests with the organisers. The panel of judges contribute, to a large extent, to the success of the championship. It is, therefore, unrealistic to expect the organisers to accept a panel of judges appointed by some other body. What's more, the organisers will do everything to ensure that all judging panels appear as impartial as possible.
Most criticism levelled at judges come mainly from competitors who lose, and here are a few reasons why:
Most judges however, try, to the best of their ability and expertise, to hone in totally on what they see, not what they feel. And what they see is directly related to the general dance criteria familiar to everyone, with a minor element of personal taste and preference having an influence on their decision.
What's more, each adjudicator is appointed to do the job, not for his/ her incompetence or demeaning personality to be partial, or because of lack of sympathy for every hardworking contestant, but for the following reasons:
JUDGING CRITERIA: The criteria a judge might choose or consider are too numerous to examine singly, since several couples are usually being assessed simultaneously. The judge must, therefore, rely on the impression each couple makes against the others on the floor. An experienced judge, one who has seen and studied dancing at all levels, can quickly assess the best on these factors collectively:
TIMING. If a couple is not dancing on time with the music, no amount of proficiency in any other aspect counts or can be considered. The music is boss. Timing is imperative when dancing competitively. If you dance off time you will not be marked through to the next round (see timing & rhythm).
MUSICALITY AND EXPRESSION. Rhythmic expression. The basic characterisation of the dance to the particular music being played and the choreographic adherence to musical phrasings and accents; also the use of light and shade to create value to these accents and phrases. For instance, in foxtrot, the stealing of time from one step to allow another to hover; or a quick speed of turn in an otherwise slow rumba; or the snap of a head to suddenly freeze and then melt into slowness in tango (see syncopation).
POSTURE. One of the most important aspects. Good posture makes you look elegant and confidence. It improves balance and control, and allows your partner to connect well to your body in the smooth or standard dances. A competition result is often in direct proportion to postural correctness. Hence the adage, "Persistent practice of postural principles promises perfection." To go far in dance competitions the dancers must have a good frame, i.e. a good body posture. A good frame consists of a straight back, arms wide, neck stretched and head slightly up, facing to the left.
POISE. In 'smooth', 'ballroom' or 'standard' dancing, is the stretch of the woman’s body upwards and outwards and leftwards into the man’s right arm which achieves balance and connection with his frame, as well as to project outwards to the audience.
LINE. By this is meant the length and stretch of the body from head to toe. Attractive and well- executed lines, either curved or straight, enhance the shapes of the figures.
HOLD. The correct and unaffected positioning of the body-parts when in closed dance position. For instance, the line of the man’s arms should be unbroken from elbow to elbow. Also, there should be agreement of the man’s and woman’s arms coming together to form a circle, which, although changing in size, should remain constant in shape so that the couple remain in correct body position to each other. The outline of the couple should always be sharp, clear and pleasing (see posture & hold).
SHAPE. Shape is the combination of turn and sway to create a look or a position. For instance, in Paso Doble does the man create the visual appearance of manoeuvring his cape? Does the lady simulate the billowing flow of the cape through space? In foxtrot, does the man use the appropriate shape on outside partner steps to enable body contact to be maintained?
PRESENTATION. Does the couple sell their dancing to the audience? Do they dance outwardly, with enthusiasm, exuding their joy of dancing and confidence in their performance? Or do they show strain or introversion? (see presentaion and projection).
SMILE. Always try to smile in competitions. It can be very difficult, but it makes a good impression on the judges.
POWER. Energy is exciting to watch. In a jive, it always seems to be the most energetic couple that wins this dance. But the energy must be controlled, not wild. For instance, powerful movement is an asset in waltz or foxtrot, but only if it is channelled into the correct swing of the body, and not just by taking big steps. The lilt of the music must be matched by the action of the body. In a waltz for instance, the dancers’ body action must clearly show the influence of the one down beat and two up beats. So the release of power into the beginning of a figure must be controlled and sustained during the rise at the end of the figure (see power in the legs).
FOOT AND LEG ACTION. The stroking of feet across the floor in foxtrot to achieve smoothness and softness; the deliberate lifting and placing of the feet in tango to achieve a staccato action; the correct bending and straightening of the knees in rumba to create hip motion; the extension of the ankles and the pointing of the toes of the non-supporting foot to enhance the line of a figure; the sequential use of the four joints (hip, knee, ankle, and toes) to achieve fullness of action and optimal power; the bending and straightening of knees and ankles in waltz to create rise and fall; the use of inside and outside edges of feet to create style and line all fall under this most important of categories.
LEAD AND FOLLOW. Does the man lead with his whole body instead of just his arms? Does the lady follow effortlessly or does the man have to assist her? (see leading & following)
FLOOR PERSONALITY. The dancer's individual way of blending his/her own character and feelings with the mood and properties of the music, and sharing these inner emotions with the audience through dance and movement.
FLOORCRAFT. This refers not only to avoiding bumping into other couples, but also the ability to continue dancing without stopping when boxed in. It shows the command of the couple over their choreography, and the ability of the man to choose and lead figures without drastically affecting their usual work when impeded (see floorcraft).
INTANGIBLES. Such as how a couple "look" together, whether they "fit" emotionally, their neatness of appearance, costuming, the flow of their choreography, and basically whether they look like "dancers"; all have an affect on a judge’s perception and therefore on his markings.
Different judges have different predilections in what they want to see, and weigh these factors differently. One judge, for instance, might be especially interested in technique, while another wants to be moved by musicality and expression. While both factors are obviously important and need to be considered, it can result in couples getting widely disparate markings.
Couples wondering what a judge saw to give them a particularly high or low mark should know that any one of the many factors listed could be responsible. The use of a heel when a toe is warranted can just as easily hurt you in a judge’s eyes as a meticulous closing of feet can help. Because the judge sees each couple for only a few seconds, anything that draws the attention, either positively or negatively, could very well be the deciding factor on how you are marked.
Competitors, please be assured that virtually no qualified adjudicator will mark you for any reason other than his or her honest evaluation of your performance. Most judges hold their own opinions highly, and try to do a conscientious job. Anyway, no one judge can make or break you. The use of a panel of these experts usually insures that the end result is the correct and equitable one (see dancing competitions).
Judges' Perception: Most competitors believe that if they practise hard, dance well, and put on a good show they will score well. A nice thought, but in reality not always true. The fact is that most judges are scrutinising much more than just your dancing.
Your first impression is to make the judges believe that you take dancing just as seriously as they do, and that you are not there to waste their time but to be the best you can possibly be. This attitude predefines a positive picture to the judges. Tempt the judges with, "if they're groomed like the best, dressed like the best and are as confident as the best, they must be top dancers"
The costume you choose has quite an impact on the judges' perception. If you do not look like a top dancer you will have to work harder to prove to the judges that you are. You don’t have to spend a fortune. Judges don’t rate you against the value of your dress but you DO need to look the part - dress for success, dress to impress.
A dancer's mentality. Apart from physical appearance and grooming, there are many instances where a couple's mentality in the competition can affect their overall mark. By appearing confident and calm (not indifferent), you signal to the judges that you're totally ready, and that you believe in your own ability. If you go on to the dance floor looking timid and shy, the judges may believe you, and think that you are not good enough to be there. If you do something wrong on the dance floor and then pull a face in surprise or show embarrassment or disappointment or pain, you only draw attention to your affectation, which may otherwise have been overlooked - try a smile, and put it behind you.
Physical build is another important consideration. If you are overweight, it signals to the judge that you are unfit, and that you don’t practise very much. Being overweight could be a genetic problem. Not everybody can be a model, we probably all have parameters in which we can improve our shape but those parameters are bounded.
Being overweight can also detract from the shapes that you make in many figures, so it is not only conceptual. With careful thought, it is often possible to use your body shape to its best advantage. Body features and lines play an important part in the pictures and poses portrayed. Select choreography that will suit your stature so that you will feel good dancing even if a little overweight.
You can manage your image to improve the way the judges perceive you. This 'image management' should form part of your competitive toolbox. It's human, we all do it, we see a beggar or ragamuffin and we immediately perceive images of them, and they have to perform something extraordinary to change our beliefs. Naturally this concept will not help you if your dancing is below par, however, if the competition is close, those who look the part are more likely to find favour with the judges because of their preconceptions.
Unfortunately your dancing, grooming and image management are not the only things that will affect your overall marks. Another common issue is 'how well you are known?' Judges are human, fallible, and like others, they recognise some and not others, they also have favourites. This is not a justification for poor performance at competitions, but a reality of the minor foibles of judging.
This is especially true when competing against 'known champions', a couple who are consistently marked well. Often you have to really rise above them to beat them, being marginally better may not be enough. Similarly, a couple may consistently beat you in the Cape or Gauteng with a set of local judges. Then, that same couple you will beat consistently in KZN with their judges, unless you are obviously much better than your rivals.
Another questionable variable, one which raises several moral issues, is when judges mark their own couples higher than those of other judges. Unfortunately this does happen, and there are a number of reasons for it. The most obvious is that judges want their couples to do well. If there is not much to tell two couples apart, they will mark their couple first - it's a natural tendency.
Occasionally, the judge's couple is even marked ahead when the competition is not close. Judges are under pressure to mark their couples well, after all, if they mark them badly you can imagine the competitors argument, "well YOU taught us!"
Another explanation to why judges often mark their couples ahead of other competitors, which raises less moral implications, is that every judge has different tastes and definitions of what is good style and what is not. It does follow that a couple of a certain judge is more likely to conform to the tastes and values of the judge, as the judge will teach and shape those styles he/she finds pleasing.
Finally, pure dancing ability and technique should be your main consideration when preparing for competitions, but don't overlook these other factors which may influence your mark, be realistic - the moral and mental criteria should also be regarded in your preparation for competitions.
JUDGING SYSTEM: (see skating System of Judging).
JUICE is a buzzword used to express the unique quality and emotion a dancer exudes when expressing his/her inner feeling for the music through dance.
JUMP (Freestyle): Leap into the air off both feet and land on 1 or both feet.
JUMPS have been classified as follows:
