Spotlight on Ceroc
Ceroc is short for "C'est le Roc" and is the name given to the tight, chic style of jive that the French do so well.
Founder James Cronin
Ceroc was founded by James Cronin (grandson of the famous novelist A.J. Cronin). James, had a French grandmother and, at Normandy chateaux and parties, he encountered the French style of jive. James presided over the rock'n'roll club at Exeter University and, after graduating, took his jive skills to London. With his brother and some friends, he organised the first Ceroc gathering in 1980.
A Sloane Rangers Heaven
Ceroc first met in the 'chandeliered' splendour of Porchester Hall at the top of Queensway, Bayswater, London. All James' friends were 'Sloanies', the group of aristocratic young hot shots who were much featured in the press thanks to their leading light, the young Lady Diana Spenser. The Sloane Rangers Handbook and Sloane Rangers Diary featured Ceroc as a chic thing to do, declaring:
"French rock'n'roll. Stamina needed. Trendy and good fun". *
(a couple photographed at the Ceroc Ball actually featured on the Sloane Rangers Diary front cover).
In Ceroc's early days there were no formal dance classes. A group of taxi dancers (the girls in full, taffeta skirts and the boys wearing white jeans and shirts) were on hand to help beginners. Dancers helped themselves to the free buckets of lemonade and squash. The excellent disco played up-to-the-minute sounds -mostly hard rock and disco (James was a professional DJ with Gibson Chance, a party band and DJ service).
Cosmopolitan Magazine pronounced: "Ceroc - C'est le Roc C'est Chic".
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