What is jive?
Jive is the fastest and most energetic Latin dance: bright kicks, flicks and triple steps on the spot to rock 'n' roll and swing. It is a cousin of East Coast Swing and the jitterbug, polished into a competition dance.
History
American GIs brought the jitterbug to Europe during World War II. English teachers standardized it as jive, and it was added to the International Latin program in 1968.
Basic technique
- Link rock and chassés (triple steps)
- Fallaway rock, change of places, American spin
- Kicks and flicks with sharp knee action
Music & tempo
42–44 bars per minute, about 168–176 BPM — rock 'n' roll, rockabilly and swing.
Songs for jive
| Song | Artist | BPM | Key | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bull by the Horns | Hi-Voltage | 172 | G major | 2004 |
| Couple in the Car | Little Billy Earl | 172 | C major | 2014 |
| C’mon Baby | Fred Bible | 172 | E major | 2002 |
| Dirty Robber (LP version) | The Wailers | 172 | G major | 1998 |
| End of the Road | The Million Dollar Quartet | 172 | C major | 2009 |
| Great Balls of Fire | Jerry Lee Lewis | 172 | C major | 1985 |
| I Tried Not to Cry | Bobby Lee Trammell | 172 | G# major | 1983 |
| Irene | Dale Hawkins | 172 | A minor | 1999 |
| Jeannie Jeannie Jeannie (mono mix) | Eddie Cochran | 172 | F# major | 1985 |
| Livin’ Lovin’ Doll | Cliff Richard | 172 | C major | 2010 |
BPM as measured by audio analysis; some tracks read at half or double the danced tempo.
What to wear
Latin shoes.
How to get started
East Coast Swing is a gentler introduction to the same rhythm.
We list 3 studios that teach jive, or browse all dance studios by state.
Jive in historic images
Finnish Jive Championships
Finnish Jive Championships
Finnish Jive Championships
Finnish Jive Championships
juliste, mainos
Openly licensed images via Europeana; rights statements on each item page.
Key partner-dance terms
Recent research
- Joint action aesthetics. — PloS one, 2017
- Special Issue: Autoimmune Diseases: A Swing Dance of Immune Cells. — International journal of molecular sciences, 2025
- Can Samba and Forró Brazilian rhythmic dance be more effective than walking in improving functional mobility and spatiotemporal gait parameters in patients with Parkinson's disease? — BMC neurology, 2020
- The Energy Expenditure of Recreational Ballroom Dance. — International journal of exercise science, 2014
- A kinetic analysis of the triple step in recreational swing dancers. — Sports biomechanics, 2024
Books about jive
- Waltzing in the dark by Brenda Dixon Gottschild (1999)
- The swing book by Pener Dagen, Degen Pener, Scotty Morris (1999)
- Swing Dancing by Simon Selmon (2002)
- Song of Home by Susie Finkbeiner (2017)
- Getanzte Freiheit by Alenka Barber-Kersovan, Gordon Uhlmann (2002)
- Swing dancing by Wendy Garofoli (2008)
Encyclopedia summary
The jive is a dance style that originated in the United States from African Americans in the early 1930s. The name of the dance comes from the name of a form of African-American vernacular slang, popularized in the 1930s by the publication of a dictionary by Cab Calloway, the famous jazz bandleader and singer. In competition ballroom dancing, the jive is often (mistakenly) grouped with the Latin-inspired ballroom dances, though its roots are based more on swing dancing than Latin dancing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between jive and East Coast Swing?
Jive is faster and danced with sharper kicks and flicks on the balls of the feet; East Coast Swing is a relaxed social swing dance with a grounded triple step.
What BPM is Jive?
Jive is usually danced to music between 168 and 176 beats per minute (42–44 bars per minute in competition). Browse 89 songs that fit on our Jive music page.
How many calories does jive burn?
About 404 calories per hour for a 155-lb (70 kg) person, based on a MET value of 5.5 from the Compendium of Physical Activities. See calories burned jive for every body weight.
Related styles
East Coast Swing
United States (simplified from Lindy Hop by dance studios)
Swing & Vintage Jazz DanceLindy Hop
Harlem, New York — the Savoy Ballroom
Ballroom & DanceSportQuickstep
England (from the fast foxtrot and the Charleston)
Ballroom & DanceSportWaltz
Austria and southern Germany (from the Ländler)
Ballroom & DanceSportViennese Waltz
Vienna, Austria
Ballroom & DanceSportFoxtrot
United States (New York vaudeville)
Ballroom & DanceSportBallroom Tango
England and the United States, adapted from Argentine tango
Ballroom & DanceSportCha-Cha
Cuba (cha-cha-chá music by Enrique Jorrín)
Last reviewed October 2026 · Editorial policy