Jive for Mathematicians

Many (who often enjoy Lindy hop) have commented that Modern Jive is not a precise dance.  This article  expresses all the important facets in a form that mathematicians should be proud of (along with a commentary in layman terms and all symbol defined).  Hopefully all misunderstanding should be cleared up.  Enjoy!

An overview

Leroc Modern Jive
Modern JiveSwing
Swingdance
Danceperforming art
 
Leroc is an organisation that teaches Modern Jive, which is one form of 'swing' dance, which is one way of 'performing art'
ie Leroc Modern Jive Swing dance performing art

    Read as "is a subset of" ie "is one specialised form of"...

Different forms of jive

Ballroom Jive Modern Jive
Modern JiveJive
Ballroom JiveJive
Modern JiveSwing
Ballroom Jive Swing
Modern Jive French jive
Modern Jive and Ballroom Jive are different, however they are both Jive.  Ballroom Jive is not considered a form of Swing, even though Modern Jive is. French Jive is just another name for Modern Jive, although the French do not it!

    Read as "is not subset of..." ie "is not a specialised form of..."

    Read as "is equivalent to..." ie "is identical to..."

    Read as "is not equal to..."

Separate the dance form from the company

x | x {Ceroc, LeRoc, LeJive, Mojive, LeStep} {Organisations}
x | x {Ceroc, LeRoc, LeJive, Mojive, LeStep} {dance}

    Read | as "such that..."

    Read ∈ as "is an element of ..."

    Read {x,y,x} as "the set of elements x, y and z, ie "any of x, y or z"

  Ceroc, LeRoc, LeJive, Mojive and LeStep are organisations, not forms of dance

Jive in context with Swing

x | x {Modern Jive, West Coast Swing, East Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, Jitterbug} Swing

Salsa Swing
East Coast Swing West Coast Swing
Lindyhop Jitterbug
Modern Jive, West Coast Swing, East Coast Swing, Lindy Hop and Jitterbug are all forms of Swing.  Salsa is not.  East Coast Swing and West Coast Swing are different, but Lindyhop is just another name for the Jitterbug.

Swing C&W 0
Swing C&W 0
Swing C&W 0
There are dances that are both Swing and Country & Western (eg West Coast Swing).  There are swing dances that are not C&W (Lindy Hop).  There are C&W dances that are not Swing (C&W waltz).

    Read as "intersected with..." ie "those elements in common with both..." 

    Read X as "not X"

    Read 0 as "empty set", ie nothing

Modern Jive = Swing – footwork
Modern Jive + footwork Swing
Swing First Move triple steps + modifications

    Read as "approximately equal to..."

  Take away the footwork from Swing dances and you get the basic form of Modern Jive, however you cannot just add footwork to Modern Jive to get Swing! Indeed, Swing is rather like various kinds of First Move triple-steps.

Description of jive

A Modern Jive move contains 2<n< jive counts
Modern Jive count = 2 music beats
Typically 120 < beats per minute < 180
Number of clockwise turns/spins number of anticlockwise turns/spins
Palm grip leading a spin
Raised arm leading a turn

    Read as "implies..."

  Modern Jive moves contain a minimum of 2 jive counts and can be very long indeed.  Each jive count occurs after every 2 music beats.  Typically, beat rates between 120 and 180 per minute are good for Modern Jive.  Ladies like being unwound after being wound up.  A palm grip is used before a spin and a raised arm before a turn.

Types of move

Airsteps Aerials
Drops Dips
(Airsteps Dips) Bad back Pain
Teaching moves involve footwork groan in audience

    Read as "in union with..." ie "or..."

Air steps are just another name for aerials.  Drops are similar to dips.  If you do either and have a bad back, you will experience pain!  When teachers teach moves involving footwork, the result is a groan in the audience.

Order of things

Line Dancers  to Jivers, who to Lindy-hoppers!

    Read as "looks up to..."