"Latin Blues" is intended for modern jive dancers who would like to learn how to dance with sensuality and feeling to Blues and slower jive tracks. Essentially the class is about connecting with the partner and learning ways of moving that are in keeping to the music. The approach is different to a "standard" modern jive class in preparation and execution. To start with I do various warm ups for the class, teaching body movement ( especially in the hips), and footwork such as the "slow drag". We look at how to use different tempos within the music, as this offers more depth to the dance. Rhythms include half speed, on the beat and "quick quick slow". The framework will be more familiar to students as "Latin Blues" can incorporate many modern jive moves, with regulars such as turns and returns, first move, catapult, sways etc. and definitely seducers! The "Latin" aspect of it is in the styling, plus some footwork. Besides the use of hips for both sexes, "ladies styling" is an important element of the class. Drawing on salsa and Latin dance, I teach the ladies how to really move (be it angle of head, arms, the body roll, footwork!). To allow the lady to express herself the man needs to give the lady freedom. Jess will show the men how to execute the "set up" for this, be it within a partner hold, or letting go of the lady. This is another key aspect to the dance, and this type of improvisation will be new to many jivers. The class could also be of interest to other experienced partner dancers (salsa, ballroom etc.)
About Cressida & Jess
We taught "Roc-Jive" for many years in Bristol around the time that Michel Gay taught. Our aim in those days was to jazz up the footwork within modern jive and include more body movement. We danced in many cabarets and charity events before eventually discovering salsa and changing route. Jess and Cressida taught "Latin Jive" at her salsa and jive weekender at Pontins in 2006.
Jess regularly attended contemporary and jazz workshops, and in fact still trains in the former today. He was responsible for the "dance stage" at the Harbourside Festival for several years and the "Street Alive" dance programme. Jess was also the dance consultant for the Ardman film "Chicken Run". He is a talented and versatile dancer (inc. Latin, jive, lindy-hop)
Cressida became interested in dance whilst at Art School, joining 2 amateur contemporary companies. She ran a dance department in secondary school and has taught adults jive, folk & jazz dance, aerobics, salsa, merengue, lambada and line dance! Cressida (UKA qualified) has taught several 100's of people to dance salsa in the Southwest, and was the first teacher to set up salsa classes in Bristol 17 years ago. She formed "Club Cubana" in 1998 whilst organsing the UK's 1st salsa weekender at Pontins, winning several awards for sevices to the industry. Her Pontins events are internationally acclaimed, and within them she promotes all styles of dance alongside salsa.
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