The Jive4All committee has taken the difficult decision to cancel Jive4All Monday nights until further notice.
We have a duty of care to everyone who attends our classes and unfortunately the nature of dancing means it’s impossible to practice the “social distancing” that the WHO and Public Heath England are recommending.
We apologise for the short notice (for tonight’s class night – 16/03/20) and for any inconvenience caused.
We can’t wait to #MakeMondayMagical with you all when the situation improves and we re-open.
We’re monitoring the situation carefully, and currently we are expecting our classes to go ahead as usual based on the latest information from Public Health England and the NHS. If anything changes, we’ll let you know as soon as possible. Keep an eye on our social media and website for any updates. In the meantime, below are some guidelines to keep us all healthy at classes:
Please wash your hands as soon as you arrive and frequently throughout the evening, for example, between classes and every 3 – 5 tracks during the freestyle. You need to wash your hands with soap and water thoroughly for at least 20 seconds (or as long as it takes to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ twice). A guide to thorough hand washing here.
If you can’t get to a sink with soap, sanitiser gel with an alcohol content of over 60% is a good backup if you can’t wash your hands with soap and water.
Avoid touching your face, particularly your eyes, mouth and nose as much as possible.
If you need to cough or sneeze, either use a tissue to cover your nose or mouth and bin it immediately afterwards, or cover your nose and mouth with your inner elbow if you can’t grab a tissue on time.
If you think you have been to one of the affected areas within the last couple of weeks, or have recently been in contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus, please completethis questionnaire from the NHS, which will tell you if you need to take any action such as self isolation.
If you have a compromised immune system, for instance you have a pre-existing health condition such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease, you are at a higher risk from the virus, so please keep an eye on the NHS and Public Health England websites for latest advice. We’ll understand if you feel it’s better to stay away from class for a while to reduce your risk.
Want to know more? Latest up-to-date information from the NHS here and Public Health England here.
We’re delighted to continue our Illumination Dance + Jive4All two room freestyle collaboration with DanceXcess this year with regular dates in Cambridge lined up throughout 2020!
Illumination plus Jive4All features a main expressive-style room run by DanceXcess plus an added up-tempo Modern Jive room run by the friendly and inclusive Jive4All team, ideal for those who love to dance to both music styles and perfect for those new to expressive dancing who want to give it a try in a friendly and welcoming environment.
Jive4All’s collaboration with local independent dance club DanceXcess started in 2019, adding an up-tempo room to DanceXcess’s regular expressive freestyle, ‘Illumination’ at Storey’s Field Centre, Cambridge. Our first joint events were very popular, with high volumes of dancers in both rooms throughout the evening. We received very positive feedback from dancers who attended our first event:
“Was a great night, well worth the drive, looking forward to next time”
“Great first time for me but well worth the 140 mile round trip, can’t wait to do it again”
“2 rooms worked great and hope it can be done again “
See below for details and the list of dates for 2020. Note some are Fridays and some are Saturdays.
Illumination Dance is a new concept for the Cambridge and St Albans, Bedworth, Harlow and Leicester areas where we aim to play music which teases your inner dancer to come out. You may be looking for something a little more chilled, lyrical or expressive, enabling you to dance more musically to what you hear.We welcome dancers that want to explore musical expression, and enjoy music that is always interesting and occasionally challenging. You’ll find dancers of all levels of experience and ability, with the common aim that they enjoy dancing to good music.
Cambridge not-for-profit Modern Jive club Jive4All explicitly promotes an inclusive culture, and we encourage our members to make everyone feel welcome. As such the culture is to accept any dance as long as you feel comfortable. Equally, we believe that a dancer’s gender is not relevant to their choice of dance role: core to our ethos is that you choose whether you learn to lead, follow, or both!
Happy new year! We’ve got lots of news to start 2020 with including our first class of the new year on Monday 6th January, new committee members and our brand new teacher trainee scheme.
We’re excited to welcome you all back with our first class of 2020 this coming Monday, 6th January. We’ll be running to our usual timetable at Chesterton Community College in the Rex Freeman Hall:
19.00 – Doors open
19:15 – Beginner class
20:10 – Intermediate class and beginners’ mentor session
20:40 – Freestyle
21:45 – Ends, drinks at The Waterman pub, all welcome!
Following the Jive4All AGM held in November, several new members joined the Jive4All committee. A huge welcome to Alison Schreter, David Norton, Justin Clark-Casey and Nickie Sexton joining the team running Jive4All! A new volunteer position of marketing assistant was also created and we welcomed Bobbie Fulton to the volunteer team in this new role.
Teaching dance classes every single week is a huge task, so our head of dance and head teacher Radley has started a brand new teacher training scheme starting this year and we welcome our first group of new teachers taking to the stage with him every week. Our new teacher trainees are Andrew Oakley, David Norton, David Murray, Ian Manning and Melissa Dring who will be the first to grace the stage with Radley on Monday!
With many people making new year’s resolutions to learn new skills, get out and meet new people and get more active, you may have friends, family and colleagues who would be interested in joining Jive4All. Remember our great special offers – All new members get their first 4 sessions for only £5 each! Don’t forget, if you are an existing member and bring a new person, you get in for free. We also have a loyalty card scheme to reward our regular dancers so there’s something for everyone!
We look forward to welcoming you to Chesterton Community College for fun and dancing very soon.
This December Jive4All and DanceXcess invite you to join us for a Winter Wonderland two room freestyle, our final Illumination Dance + Jive4All freestyle of 2019. It will take place on Friday 20th December.
Dress to impress, dress festive, find a cheesy Christmas costume or simply get dressed! Whatever you decide to wear come dance and enjoy saving some memories with our winter photo booth.
Important notice – venue change:
Due to circumstances beyond our or their control, Storey’s Field Centre is unable to accommodate us on this occasion so we will be holding this month’s Illumination Dance + Jive4All freestyle at a different venue in the same area. Our venue for Friday 20th December will be:
Our temporary venue is one minute walk from our usual venue (Storey’s Field Centre) on the same road. Please see map below for location. We will still have two rooms and will start at 8pm and finish at midnight as planned. This change of venue is a one-off occurrence and we expect all future events to be held in Storey’s Field Centre as usual.
Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Illumination plus Jive4All features a main expressive-style room run by DanceXcess plus an added up-tempo Modern Jive room run by the friendly and inclusive Jive4All team, ideal for those who love to dance to both music styles and perfect for those new to expressive dancing who want to give it a try in a friendly and welcoming environment.
This is our fifth joint freestyle with local independent dance club DanceXcess, adding an up-tempo room to its regular expressive freestyle, ‘Illumination’ at Storey’s Field Centre, Cambridge. Our first four events were very popular, with high volumes of dancers in both rooms throughout the evening. We received some very positive feedback from dancers who attended the events:
“Was a great night, well worth the drive, looking forward to next time”
“Great first time for me but well worth the 140 mile round trip, can’t wait to do it again”
“2 rooms worked great and hope it can be done again “
Illumination Dance is a new concept for the Cambridge and St Albans, Bedworth, Harlow and Leicester areas where we aim to play music which teases your inner dancer to come out. You may be looking for something a little more chilled, lyrical or expressive, enabling you to dance more musically to what you hear.We welcome dancers that want to explore musical expression, and enjoy music that is always interesting and occasionally challenging. You’ll find dancers of all levels of experience and ability, with the common aim that they enjoy dancing to good music.
Cambridge not-for-profit Modern Jive club Jive4All explicitly promotes an inclusive culture, and we encourage our members to make everyone feel welcome. As such the culture is to accept any dance as long as you feel comfortable. Equally, we believe that a dancer’s gender is not relevant to their choice of dance role: core to our ethos is that you choose whether you learn to lead, follow, or both!
Monday 16th December is Jive4All’s last class night of 2019 and we’re making it a special one with a fun Christmas Ceilidh!
Instead of our usual beginners and intermediate Modern Jive classes, our teacher Radley will lead a fun Ceilidh session starting at 7.15pm followed by a special group performance at 8pm. At 8.30pm we’ll have a Modern Jive freestyle running until 9.45pm after which we’ll head to The Waterman pub for a drink or two.
All are welcome to join us at Chesterton Community College for a night of jigs, reels and revelry. Our hardworking door people are taking a break and joining the fun, so we’ll have an honesty box on the door to help cover our costs.
Our theme for the night is tartan and tinsel, so if you’re feeling festive you’re strongly encouraged to wear either or both!
Jive4All will return to Mill Road Winter Fair again this year for some dancing in the street! We’re excited to take part in this brilliant event joining a fantastic line-up of community groups, local businesses and artists.
Join us on Saturday 7th December outside Urban Larder between 14:45 and 15:30 for a dancing demo, find out what our inclusive Modern Jive is all about and have a chat with our lovely team and members.
Jive4All’s offer for new beginners is now being extended to all new members joining us for the first time! Anyone joining us for their first class who is not already a member will get their first 4 weeks for only £5 per session, instead of our standard £7 entry! Join us on Mondays from 7.15pm at Chesterton Community College.
Chesterton Community College is serviced by the Citi 1 bus route. Car and bicycle parking is available in the school car park, which can be accessed from Gilbert Road. Once on the school grounds, turn right and continue to the car park.
We’re delighted to announce our next date for Illumination plus Jive4All two room freestyle, our second in one month!
Illumination plus Jive4All features a main expressive-style room run by DanceXcess plus an added up-tempo Modern Jive room run by the friendly and inclusive Jive4All team, ideal for those who love to dance to both music styles and perfect for those new to expressive dancing who want to give it a try in a friendly and welcoming environment.
This is our fourth joint freestyle with local independent dance club DanceXcess, adding an up-tempo room to its regular expressive freestyle, ‘Illumination’ at Storey’s Field Centre, Cambridge. Our first three events were very popular, with high volumes of dancers in both rooms throughout the evening. We received some very positive feedback from dancers who attended the events:
“Was a great night, well worth the drive, looking forward to next time”
“Great first time for me but well worth the 140 mile round trip, can’t wait to do it again”
“2 rooms worked great and hope it can be done again “
Our next event will be held on Friday 22nd November at the stunning Storey’s Field Centre from 8pm until late.
Illumination Dance is a new concept for the Cambridge and St Albans, Bedworth, Harlow and Leicester areas where we aim to play music which teases your inner dancer to come out. You may be looking for something a little more chilled, lyrical or expressive, enabling you to dance more musically to what you hear.We welcome dancers that want to explore musical expression, and enjoy music that is always interesting and occasionally challenging. You’ll find dancers of all levels of experience and ability, with the common aim that they enjoy dancing to good music.
Cambridge not-for-profit Modern Jive club Jive4All explicitly promotes an inclusive culture, and we encourage our members to make everyone feel welcome. As such the culture is to accept any dance as long as you feel comfortable. Equally, we believe that a dancer’s gender is not relevant to their choice of dance role: core to our ethos is that you choose whether you learn to lead, follow, or both!
Jive4All turns one year old this month. To celebrate this momentous occasion, we’re having a UV party and everyone is invited!
Two dancers at a Jive4All freestyle. Photo by David Norton
A small group of friends in the Cambridge Modern Jive scene had a dream, and one year on we’re ecstatic that Jive4All is a reality! We always felt that in this part of the world, the Modern Jive scene is very gendered, with men expected to lead and women follow, and non-binary people being left out of consideration altogether. If you are LGBTQ+ and/or want the freedom to decide for yourself whether to lead or follow, this is really offputting – lots of other dance scenes have degendering movements, so we wanted to do our bit to make Modern Jive more inclusive. Thus Jive4All was born and Modern Jive now has a degendered home in Cambridge!
Jive4All class in full swing. Photo by David Norton
Jive4All is inclusive by name and by nature. As our head of dance Radley Edwards says, “…dance is a wonderful gift. A gift I feel very strongly should be accessible to all regardless of your gender, age, height, sexuality, race or preference to put the jam or cream first on your scone!”
At Jive4All, all mention of gender has been removed from dance roles and the names of dance moves. Its up to every individual to decide if they will lead, follow, or both. In fact, we actively encourage trying the role you are less familiar with – it’s fun, and makes you a better dancer!
Jive4All members relax after a busk at the Big Weekend, Cambridge, summer 2019. Photo by Claire McGuinness
Jive4All is especially welcoming to new dancers, with more experienced dancers making efforts to get to know and to dance with new people. Everyone is welcome to join a pub social after each class night.
We encourage people to go to dance weekenders, help support us on busks – and recently we’ve started running a regular joint freestyle with another local dance club, ‘Illumination plus Jive4All’ in the beautiful Storey’s Field Centre.
Illumination plus Jive4All two room freestyle, Storey’s Field Centre, Cambridge. Photo by Claire McGuinness
We don’t think we fixed it for everyone yet though: we still have work to do on being more inclusive to those with disabilities, both visible and invisible. We plan to consult with disability groups and welcome suggestions from people with disabilities who would like to dance on how to better include them.
Teacher Radley demonstrates a move during class with demo Becky. Photo by David Norton.
As Treasurer Becky says: “Through dancing I’ve made so many friends and I’ve found a community where I feel I belong. Dancing is just so joyful, plus it’s exercise without realising you’re doing exercise – the best kind!”
We’re proud of how far we have come in the last year, and look hopefully forward towards many more years to come. If you love our message and want to get involved, we need you! Jive4All is a not-for-profit run by a committee of volunteers, with many more volunteers making up the full team without whom we couldn’t exist. We’d love more people to be involved, please get in touch through our Facebook page, Instagram account or email us on info@jive4all.dance.
In celebration of our first birthday, we’re holding a UV party on 11th November at Chesterton Community College in the atrium. This will kick off at 7.15pm with a fun class suitable for all levels and then an extended freestyle with UV lights, so wear bright white or neon coloured clothing and/or facepaint to glow!
Blog post written by Jive4All’s Marketing and Advertising Officer Claire McGuinness and Chair Ian Manning.
If you’d like to write a blog post for us, please get in touch at info@jive4all.dance.
