Tutorial: Basic Step in Jive

General Info:

The basic step in the Jive is the very first step that you learn. It’s the foundation for all future steps. Master this step thoroughly and you’ll have a solid foundation for the MacJive.

The MacJive is danced to a 4/4 timing of music (unlike the Waltz which is ¾ time). In the basic step (as in the Ballroom Jive / Salsa/ Bachata / ChaCha / Waltz etc..), both dancers dance the opposite leg to each other so that neither kicks each other. So if the man moves his left leg, then the woman moves her right leg and vice versa.

While this might seem confusing at first, I’ve found that one of the easiest ways to learn what your foot is supposed to do is to associate action words to the step. In case of the basic step, we use the below:


Back	Replace	Side	Replace

Man’s Part:

The man starts with his left foot (LF). So, his 1^st and 3^rd count will be with his LF whereas the 2^nd and 4^th counts will be with his RF. Hence, using the same word association as above, we have the following

1	2	3	4
Left Foot	Right Foot	Left Foot	Right Foot
Back	Replace	Side	Replace

Starting position: So as a man, when starting off, your feet are close together but your weight will be more on your RF, so that you have your LF pre-ready to move on count 1.

Count 1: On count 1, you’ll move your LF back (about a foot back), leaving your RF where it was. This is the “back” from the word-association. Remember that both feet are on the ground, neither is hanging in the air, but at the same time, your entire body weight should be completely on the LF (so that the RF is free to move for the next step)

Count 2: Your RF lifts into the air (about an inch or two) and then “replaces” back again in the same spot. Remember that both feet are on the ground, neither is hanging in the air, and your entire body weight should be completely on the RF (so that the LF is free to move for the next step). No change in position of the LF.

Count 3: LF will now lift off and place down similar to the starting position, though a little to the side. This is “side” from the word-association of our table. Remember that both feet are on the ground, neither is hanging in the air, but at the same time, your entire body weight should be completely on the LF (so that the RF is free to move for the next step)

Count 4: Your RF lifts into the air (about an inch or two) and then “replaces” back again in the same spot. Remember that both feet are on the ground, neither is hanging in the air, and your entire body weight should be completely on the RF. No change in position of the LF. At the end of count 4, you should be approximately in the same position as where you were in the “starting position”

There, you’ve just completed the basic step as a man! Pretty easy, eh? Oh yea!

Lady’s Part:

Like I mentioned earlier, men and women dance opposite feet. With that in mind,

The lady starts with her right foot (RF). So, her 1^st and 3^rd count will be with her RF whereas the 2^nd and 4^th counts will be with her LF. Hence, using the same word association as in the together section above, we have the following

1	2	3	4
Right Foot	Left Foot	Right Foot	Left Foot
Back	Replace	Side	Replace

Starting position: So as a girl, when starting off, you’ll have your feet together but your weight will be more on your LF, so that you have your RF pre-ready to move on count 1.

Count 1: On count 1, you’ll move your RF back (about a foot back), leaving your LF where it was. This is the “back” from the word-association. Remember that both feet are on the ground, neither is hanging in the air, but at the same time, your entire body weight should be completely on the RF (so that the LF is free to move for the second step)

Count 2: Your LF lifts into the air (about an inch or two) and then “replaces” back again in the same spot. Remember that both feet are on the ground, neither is hanging in the air, and your entire body weight should be completely on the LF (so that the RF is free to move for the next step). No change in position of the RF.

Count 3: RF will now lift off and move close to where it first started off in (the starting position), though a little to the side. This is “side” from the word-association of our table. So, you’re placing your foot to the side (of the other foot). Remember that both feet are on the ground, neither is hanging in the air, but at the same time, your entire body weight should be completely on the RF (so that the LF is free to move for the next step)

Count 4: Your LF lifts into the air (about an inch or two) and then “replaces” back again in the same spot. Remember that both feet are on the ground, neither is hanging in the air and your entire body weight should be completely on the LF. No change in position of the RF. At the end of count 4, you should be approximately in the same position as where you were in the “starting position”

There, you’ve just completed the basic step as a woman! Even though it does look a bit long to read, it’s really super easy to just visualize the steps😊

Putting it all together

Hands:

More than the feet, what you’re doing with your hands is more important. While there are different hand holds that can be used (closed hold and open hold for example), the Jive uses the most common one i.e The open hold. The leader (in this case the man) will have his hands palm up, elbows cocked at approx.90 degrees (so at waist level), whereas the follower (the lady in this case) will place her hands palm down in his hands. Her elbows will also be cocked at approx. 90 degrees (at waist level). Remember that as a man, for the handgrip hold, don’t grip the lady’s hand too tightly, else she won’t be able to turn (and she’ll probably not want to dance with you again because you squeezed all the blood away from her hands)

Here’s probably a good time to explain the concept of Resistance. This is the make or break factor that determines whether a couple dances well (and by well, I mean on-beat) or whether the couple dances poorly. Resistance is also called as elbow tension.

The imaginary body line drawn with a white line

So how do I get resistance?

To get resistance, your elbow should be held at 90 degrees, and during the entire movement of the dance, it should not move beyond your body line. If your elbow goes beyond your bodyline, you’ve “lost resistance”.

Think of it this way – you have to engage your bicep, but not squeeze your hand (else your partners’ hand will get squeezed too). Imagine if you’re in the gym and are doing a hammer or bicep curl, notice how your bicep starts to flex as you bring the weight up. In dance, you have to have the same amount of flex in your bicep, but hold that position at 90-degree angle for the entire dance. If both partners have this contraction of their biceps while in the closed hold, the entire dance happens much smoother and quicker. If there is relaxation in the bicep during the dance, the elbow will move beyond the bodyline and you’ll notice that either you or your partner starts leaning backwards much more than normal. The 90-degree angle at the elbow is not preserved any more. It is this loss of the 90-degree elbow angle at the bodyline that causes us to go slower than the music, ergo off-beat.

If only the man offers resistance, but the lady does not, from an audience POV, the dance looks sloppy and looks like the man is tossing around a ragged doll, whereas if only the woman offers resistance, but the man does not, then the lady is left clueless on how to interpret the steps the man does and she could end up doing a wrong step instead.

Remember: It takes two to tango