*** Welcome to piglix ***

Ceroc


Ceroc is a partner dance best described as a derivative of Jive, but with minimal footwork. It is very loosely derived from many other dances including French Jive, Swing, Lindy Hop, and Rock and Roll, and more recently West Coast Swing, the main difference being minimal footwork which makes it more accessible to beginners. It is a good dance style as an introduction to dance, it bears very little resemblance to Salsa other than some of the hand holds.

'Ceroc' is also now the brand name of the leading franchise of the dance, which is also known as 'Modern Jive' and taught by other independent organisations such as LeRoc in the UK. Ceroc is an international dance club which has with over 100 venues across the UK as well as national and regional competitions and weekend events throughout the year. It also has franchises in many other countries in Europe, Asia and the antipodes.

Ceroc is danced to almost any music, typically 60s through to modern popular music. It is generally danced to music with 4 beats to the bar (quadruple or common time), from latest chart hits to big band music and everything between, in a wide variety of tempos from slow to very fast. It doesn't require special clothes, though for both men and women, smooth soled (non-rubberised) shoes that are easy to turn/spin in are highly recommended. For women, flats or shoes with a Cuban heel are ideal, high-heels are not recommended.

Like many partner dances, Ceroc is traditionally a male-led dance. However, many female dancers today also learn the lead role, even though few male dancers learn the follow role. This is usually because Ceroc events have more female participants than male ones, and many males are less comfortable engaging in a partner dance with a member of the same sex than females are.

It is sometimes suggested that Ceroc is suited to any type of music, but this is not strictly true it best suits a tempo ranging from around 100 - 150 beats per minute. Outside the UK, Ceroc is less common, although it is very popular in Australia and New Zealand, and is slowly spreading to other areas of the world. The name 'Ceroc' is said to derive from the French "C'est le roc" (it's roc), used to describe rock n' roll dancing in France.

Ceroc was created in London, England, by James Cronin, the son of writer Vincent Cronin, and grandson of Scottish author A. J. Cronin. In January 1980 he held the first ever Ceroc event in Porchester Hall in London. By 1982, Ceroc had a cabaret team that performed routines in London nightclubs and venues. Throughout the spring and summer of 1982, the Ceroc troupe worked with choreographer Michel Ange Lau, whose classes Cronin and Sylvia Coleman had attended at the Centre Charles Peguy, a French youth centre, in Leicester Square. The first recording of Ceroc moves appears on the description for the "Gold Bug" routine, performed at the 1982 Ceroc Ball, a charity event, at the Hammersmith Palais.


...
Wikipedia

...