FAQs

Here is a list of questions that people often ask us about our dance classes, complete with answers. If you would like to know anything else, we'd love to hear from you!

Who?
By whom?
Why?
How often?
How much?
When?
Where?
What music will I be dancing to?
Do I need a partner?
What's in each level?
What clothing should I wear?

Who?
Anyone can jive! Your age, height, gender, size and dance ability don't mean a thing... just be willing to jive and swing ! Absolutely anyone is welcome.

By Whom?
It's made easy by the teacher who brought back the kool kats' jive to North America in 1996, Miss Wolff. Along with assistant teachers and dancers. Miss Wolff is experienced, qualified and dedicated to bringing you the real McCoy!

How Often?
One hour per week, six weeks per level.
Note: You can only enrol at the start of a session (every six weeks).

Why?
Jiving is fun, healthy for your whole body, exhilarating for the mind and great for meeting new friends and dance partners. We'll also tell you about weekly, monthly and special events, including our own, where you can enjoy rockin' tunes, try new moves and bask in your newfound way of expressing your love of the music!

Payment -- How and How Much?
We accept cash, postal orders or checks (payable to Miss Wolff). You can send your payment by mail (with your name, e-mail, address, day, start date and level) to our PO Box address.

When? Where?
Please see the Class Info page.

What will I be dancing to?
The dances were popular from the 1930s, '40s and '50s to the early '60s, so most of the music will be from that era. Whether it is rock-n-roll, bouncy rhythm-n-blues, boogie-woogie, rockabilly, swing, jump blues, western swing, cajun, surf and doo-wop to hillbilly bop. We like to call it ROCKIN' as long as it's got you itchin' to dance!

Guaranteed that we'll have you up and cutting a rug in no time, even if you've got two left feet and never thought you had rhythm!

The dance is called jive. It's a wild rockin' couples dance which had an earlier form called jitterbug. We teach both. These are part of the family of dances that all have the common ancestor known as lindyhop - see dance styles for more information.

The jive/jitterbug is sometimes referred to as swing or rock-n-roll as they are danced to this music. That's the simplest way of putting it. For example, Jerry Lee Lewis, Big Mama Thornton, The Five Keys, Ronnie Dawson, Bill Haley, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Big Joe Turner, Wanda Jackson, Wynonie Harris, Louis Jordan, Janis Martin, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Cab Calloway, etc. But jive might not still enjoy such popularity if a whole new generation of bands and DJs didn't keep it alive, so you'll also hear new rockin' tunes from Los Straitjackets to Big Sandy, from Sophia Wolff & the Cubs to the Crazy Rhythm Daddies, as featured on our jive DVD/video. Need some musical inspiration while learning to dance? Click here!

Do I need a partner?
No. You can come with a partner or you can find one in class. It can be fun to come with a partner so you can then practice together, but we try to sign up equal numbers of leads and followers, rotate partners occasionally and we try to have advanced dancers to help out too! Don't worry, we'll have you all dancing!

Which level should I take?
Always start with the beginners class. No experience is necessary. It doesn't matter if you have two left feet, we'll have you dancing. Even if you're already a great dancer, you need to learn the different guidelines of jiving. The pace is steady in session one as we emphasize quality and build on practice / experience.

Each class builds on the previous. Once you have completed the beginners level, you are ready to join level two, three, four and then five. From session two on, we step up the pace as your basics are in place! In any case we promise you'll have fun - so far from ages 8 to 78 - but feel free to break those barriers. To progress faster, we offer private classes.

What clothing should I wear?
Comfortable and light are key words. Flat or slightly heeled shoes are best for followers (the traditionally female role). A smooth - but not slippery - sole will help. Sneakers, for example, tend to grip too much, for leads and followers in the beginning, when you are turning. In short, dress however will make you feel good.