A LITTLE HISTORY ABOUT JIVESTYLE
Jivestyle was originally established in 1997 by Wes Stala to cater for the lack of freestyle dancing available to dancers in the Nottingham area in those early days of Modern Jive dancing in the North.
The dancing community in Nottingham at that time had the benefit of teaching from both Ceroc (Phil Roberts) and LeRoc franchisees, (Debz & Neal). However, as the local dance community grew, the dance lust that was being generated by both these companies was not being catered for with enough freestyle dances in the Nottingham area,
(Ceroc offered a freestyle dance in the Nottingham area about once every two/three months!)
Due to the demand, I starting organising regular monthly freestyles, originally at the Ukrainian Federation Club and the Polish Club and also at Beeston. After a little while these freestyles were then supplemented by inviting experienced independant teachers from the South to conduct workshops, (Modern Jive had been established in the South many years earlier than in the North.)
Classes were offered by such teachers as:
Peter Phillips teaching drops and seducers, Viktor and Lydia teaching their stylish and inimitable salsa styled modern jive, Amir & Kate teaching & developing his JANGO. 'Mikey' entertaining us with his close moves workshops, and even Nicky Haslam & Robert Winter all the way from Australia teaching their very fancy and show stopping moves.
Please CLICK HERE to see the original Jivestyle website constructed by my old schoolmate Geoff Jackson, then browse through the PHOTO GALLERY and see how many faces you recognise that are still around, indeed, see who went on to make various contributions to the dance world as teachers, dance venue providers, DJ's etc.
In 2002 Wes also set up the first Nottingham dance team where, having obtained kind permission from Nicky Haslam to use her fabulous 'Roxanne' choreographed routine, the team (36 of us when in full strength! ) performed it at Blackpool as a cabaret and other locations around the UK.
See a little clip of the routine from Blackpool on the Photo Gallery under 'Roxanne'
In 2004 I formed a partnership with someone which went on to establish what was, and still is, the UK's premier dance weekender (although now managed CEROC) at Southport and other events, but the alas the rest is history!
Jivestyle was originally established in 1997 by Wes Stala to cater for the lack of freestyle dancing available to dancers in the Nottingham area in those early days of Modern Jive dancing in the North.
The dancing community in Nottingham at that time had the benefit of teaching from both Ceroc (Phil Roberts) and LeRoc franchisees, (Debz & Neal). However, as the local dance community grew, the dance lust that was being generated by both these companies was not being catered for with enough freestyle dances in the Nottingham area,
(Ceroc offered a freestyle dance in the Nottingham area about once every two/three months!)
Due to the demand, I starting organising regular monthly freestyles, originally at the Ukrainian Federation Club and the Polish Club and also at Beeston. After a little while these freestyles were then supplemented by inviting experienced independant teachers from the South to conduct workshops, (Modern Jive had been established in the South many years earlier than in the North.)
Classes were offered by such teachers as:
Peter Phillips teaching drops and seducers, Viktor and Lydia teaching their stylish and inimitable salsa styled modern jive, Amir & Kate teaching & developing his JANGO. 'Mikey' entertaining us with his close moves workshops, and even Nicky Haslam & Robert Winter all the way from Australia teaching their very fancy and show stopping moves.
Please CLICK HERE to see the original Jivestyle website constructed by my old schoolmate Geoff Jackson, then browse through the PHOTO GALLERY and see how many faces you recognise that are still around, indeed, see who went on to make various contributions to the dance world as teachers, dance venue providers, DJ's etc.
In 2002 Wes also set up the first Nottingham dance team where, having obtained kind permission from Nicky Haslam to use her fabulous 'Roxanne' choreographed routine, the team (36 of us when in full strength! ) performed it at Blackpool as a cabaret and other locations around the UK.
See a little clip of the routine from Blackpool on the Photo Gallery under 'Roxanne'
In 2004 I formed a partnership with someone which went on to establish what was, and still is, the UK's premier dance weekender (although now managed CEROC) at Southport and other events, but the alas the rest is history!
