I remember dancing at St. Paul's. Dancing on a cork floor. (The youngsters of today ...) I had some super dances with the lady that acted as DJ, and went back a couple of times, shunning the Casbah which was just too crowded.
My name is Prian. I began Cerocing in January 1993 in London. Wondering if there is anyone from those days. Do you remember the SW1 Club, the Hibernian Club, YWCA, St. Pauls Onslow Square, drinking in the Clock Bar of the Bedford Hotel. Anyone remember Victor, Kate, the TAXI auditions etc. Or am I just going back too far.
I remember dancing at St. Paul's. Dancing on a cork floor. (The youngsters of today ...) I had some super dances with the lady that acted as DJ, and went back a couple of times, shunning the Casbah which was just too crowded.
Prian - have you checked out the history of modern jive put together by John Sweeney?
Have a look at his (excellent) web site - there is loads of detail on the history. (PS I read this some months ago when it first came out - and I was intrigued by the 'Goldbug' track - Alan Parsons project, so I got hold of it. It is probably NOT something that would get played these days - and does not sound very danceable (hmmm - 'challenging' almost) - still interesting nevertheless.
See Modern Jive - Ceroc, Le Roc, etc. - Videos, DVDs, Classes, Events, Workshops, Holidays, Weekends
For example:
1982
James Cronin employed Michel Ange Lau to choreograph a routine for the November 1982 Ceroc Ball, a charity event at the Hammersmith Palais that attracted 1200 people. This routine was performed to "Gold Bug", and the moves recorded for the first time. "Gold Bug" is from "The Turn of a Friendly Card" by the Alan Parsons Project.
Ceroc gets national publicity for first time: The November 1982 Ceroc Ball in Harpers & Queen.
Copyright Harpers & Queen.
...and fast forward to:
1994
Ceroc introduced Taxi Dancers to help beginners.
Ceroc published the StepCheck cards describing how to do 12 Beginner moves.
In Spring, Robert Austin ran the first UK Modern Jive competition - a small event on a Thursday evening. However a full page about it in the Evening Standard caused the Hammersmith Palais to approach Robert Austin about running a competition there.
In the Autumn, the first Modern Jive Open Competition took place at the Hammersmith Palais.
1997 programme - does anyone have an earlier one?
Last edited by JiveLad; 29th-September-2008 at 11:37 AM.
I do, I have 1994 and 1995 and I think I have others too .......... (the first one was 1994 I think)Originally Posted by JiveLad
I also have the video of 1995 (because I made the finals in the DWAS with the previous year's winner Paul James)
--ooOoo--
Age is a question of mind over matter, if you don't mind, it doesn't matter
Leroy (Satchel) Paige (1906-1982)
Mickey Mouse's girlfriend, Minnie, made her film debut, along with Mickey, in "Steamboat Willie" on November 18, 1928.
That date is recognized as her official birthday.
--ooOoo--
Age is a question of mind over matter, if you don't mind, it doesn't matter
Leroy (Satchel) Paige (1906-1982)
Mickey Mouse's girlfriend, Minnie, made her film debut, along with Mickey, in "Steamboat Willie" on November 18, 1928.
That date is recognized as her official birthday.
Fulham (Leopard bar - next to the tube station) Central club (off Tottenham court road) and Casbah, were the London venues I chose.
Central club was Vicktor teaching on a Wednesday, Casbah, Friday, being Mike - Fulham, was about atmosphere etc. the teaching was not so hot, but the venue was good.
(Is central club SW1?)
First memory of Vicktor outside of teaching, was following him by motorbike through the streets of London, to the "after Casbah" venue, which had a rock and roll band and food. That man was a mad driver - I only just kept up...
I think maybe he was trying to lose me, as he was supprised I was still with him when we arrived!
I still have a 16 beginner moves leaflet from the early days... Picked this one up from Manchester.
I did not keep the programme, but did keep the Christmas edition Mag, which had the results of the comp in.
They showed all finals placings and the scores (out of 120)
I entered the Intermediates, but got shoved up to the Classic section - was happy to reach the finals, so kept the mag with the results in.
There are a few of us still around... I definitely remember Central Club and drinking in the Clock Bar afterwards (did Ceroc finish earlier in those days?). I used to do Conway Hall on a Tuesday and SW1 too. I remember Victor's first night at Ceroc....
What about Freestyles at Notre Dame Leicester Square? The first incarnation of the Casbah?? The Ceroc Marathons? (I still have the T-shirt from the 92 or 93 one somewhere). Did you ever do any of the Charleston Balls??? They were just amazing. I remember at the time some of us suggested we should do a 10 year reunion one which sadly never happened.
I don't remember any taxi auditions though - I think that must have been a bit later? And despite the nice memories, Ceroc has got an awful lot better since those days...
FunkyAngel
ahhhhhhhhhhh............. I remember it well
It is where I first met Franco (when he was dancing), Roger Chin, Jon Brett etc etc., fab times
Do you remember the night our coach driver has a drink (or two) whilst waiting for us ........... the drive home was certainly interesting we were swaying from side to side on the motorway, Janine was screaming (and she is a doctor) - wonder what happened to her ??
Last edited by Minnie M; 2nd-October-2008 at 06:24 PM.
--ooOoo--
Age is a question of mind over matter, if you don't mind, it doesn't matter
Leroy (Satchel) Paige (1906-1982)
Mickey Mouse's girlfriend, Minnie, made her film debut, along with Mickey, in "Steamboat Willie" on November 18, 1928.
That date is recognized as her official birthday.
Aaah - nostalgia.
In a sense I'm from those days - I started Ceroc in mid-1993 - but I was very much South Coast based, back in those pre-Mojive days. My London experience was limited to one of the Ceroc 24 hour marathons, a couple of LeJive open comps, and a few trips to the 100 club - but I honestly can't remember when most of those were (apart from the comps, which were, I think, the 1997/1998 ones)
All that time ago...
--ooOoo--
Age is a question of mind over matter, if you don't mind, it doesn't matter
Leroy (Satchel) Paige (1906-1982)
Mickey Mouse's girlfriend, Minnie, made her film debut, along with Mickey, in "Steamboat Willie" on November 18, 1928.
That date is recognized as her official birthday.
I have realised that I have been dancing MJ for longer than I thought. I had a ticket for the 1996 Le Jive comp, but missed it to paint the garden gate to pacify my wife. The 1998 comp was when I first saw Nigel & Nina. At that moment I first realised that MJ could be an art form. Later in the comp I also realised that it also had comedic potential. It also had a performance by David B & Lily which showed it could be acrobatic as well. From that day I have been doing whatever I could to promote MJ.
I still treasure the videos from 98 & 99 (the last ) and wish I could see what I missed in 97. (What one does for love I never really got on with that garden gate.)
The 99 showcases of "Witch Doctor" and "Titanic" are the two clips I would love to put on youtube or elsewhere on the net. One to show the exuberance and humour that can be part of MJ, and the other to show that it can be real dancing. I did email Robert Austen way back to ask who owned the copyright for the videos, but got no reply.
Notre Dame had a special atmosphere. The 100 club I had known for decades before. My first date with my wife was dancing Trad Jive to the Chris Barber band there.
I had a similar reaction seeing them in '97... the results of the '98 comp, however, had me swearing I'd never attend the event again, so I didn't go in '99.
Somewhere, we have a video of (I think) the '98 event - and we watched some of it a couple of years ago from a sense of nostalgia. It was eerie beyond belief watching the camera pan across this room full of bouncing heads and hands, and...
There's my other half (four years before we actually met). There's X, who I know from... and Y from ... and isn't that .... and ... oops - there's that ex , and... there's me and oh GOD I pray I don't dance like that anymore , and...
So many familiar faces, many of them people I'd not even met at the time. Spooky.
Glad to see you are enjoying the Modern Jive Timeline at modernjive.com
Please do send me anything that I can add to it - my address is john@modernjive.com
Happy dancing,
John
--ooOoo--
Age is a question of mind over matter, if you don't mind, it doesn't matter
Leroy (Satchel) Paige (1906-1982)
Mickey Mouse's girlfriend, Minnie, made her film debut, along with Mickey, in "Steamboat Willie" on November 18, 1928.
That date is recognized as her official birthday.
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