Ceroc

Ceroc is an international dance club with more than 200 venues across the UK as well as national and regional competitions and weekend events throughout the year. It also has franchises in many other countries in Europe, Asia and the Antipodes.

The name 'Ceroc' is said to derive from the French "C'est le roc" (it's roc), used to describe rock and roll dancing in France.

History

James Cronin, the son of writer Vincent Cronin and a grandson of Scottish author A. J. Cronin, founded Ceroc in London, England. In January 1980 he held the first Ceroc event in Porchester Hall in London. By 1982 Ceroc had a cabaret team, which performed routines in London nightclubs and venues. Throughout the spring and summer of 1982 the Ceroc troupe worked with choreographer Michel Ange Lau, whose classes Cronin and Sylvia Coleman had attended in 1980 at the Centre Charles Peguy, a French youth centre in Leicester Square. The first video-recording of a Ceroc event appears on the description for the ‘Gold Bug’ routine, performed at the 1982 Ceroc Ball, a charity event at the Hammersmith Palais.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s Cronin and Sylvia Coleman established Ceroc Enterprises, registered "Ceroc" as a trademark and started to sell Ceroc franchises around the country. In 1992 the Ceroc Teachers Association (CTA) was formed, with associated examinations: all Ceroc teachers had to pass the relevant CTA examinations before gaining licences to teach at Ceroc events. In 1994 Ceroc introduced ‘taxi dancers’ to their venues – volunteers who are experienced dancers, designated to assist beginners.

In the early 2000s Cronin and Coleman sold Ceroc Enterprises to Mike Ellard. By 2004 Ceroc Enterprises were running more than 100 different venues and claimed attendance figures of 500,000. In 2006 Ceroc started expanding into the ‘Weekender’ market. In October 2019 Ceroc Enterprises was sold to The Dance Holiday Company, owned by Robert Thompson, who then changed the name to Ceroc Enterprises. The sale was financed by a debenture over the assets of the company held by Mike Ellard.

Ceroc Enterprises had franchises operating in Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, the UAE, Canada, the United States and Hong Kong. more than 30 Ceroc franchises operated in the United Kingdom, with 150 Ceroc venues there. Ceroc organizations trade in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Africa and Dubai.

Apart from the franchises listed above, Ceroc organisations operate in Australia and New Zealand. Ceroc Enterprises is a separate company from ''Ceroc Australia'' and ''Ceroc and Modern Jive Dance Company'' or CMJ (also based in Australia). These Australian companies are not franchisees of Ceroc Enterprises. Similarly there is no legal connection between Ceroc Enterprises and ''Ceroc New Zealand''. In November 2013 'Ceroc Australia' was sold by Mark Harding to ''Ceroc and Modern Jive Dance Company'' or CMJ to bring them both back under the same umbrella following their split in 1998.

Modern Jive

Outside the Ceroc Franchise, the dance style Modern Jive is also taught and danced in many independent venues, where it is commonly called LeRoc. Originally the same dance style was taught in Ceroc venues and independents but they have diverged enormously over the last 20 years. However dancers who have learned at either Ceroc venues or independents can dance together in freestyle, since apart from stylistic differences it is fundamentally the same dance. Ceroc franchise venues often attract a younger demographic than independents, largely because of their branding and because they often recruit younger teachers.

In 1990 Robert Austin, an original Ceroc franchisee who had broken away from Ceroc to form LeJive, coined the term ‘Modern Jive’, a generic term for the dance form used by teachers and clubs not affiliated to Ceroc Enterprise. Ceroc does not now use the term Modern Jive and Ceroc’s web site states that it now teaches dance in general and not a specific dance form.

Class format

Most Ceroc venues run regular weekly classes, usually on Monday to Thursdays.

Ceroc class formats are quite different from most other dance forms in that:
* Students are typically taught in rows from a stage rather than gathered around the teacher.
* Classes are typically larger, with often more than 100 people in some UK venues.
* Classes are highly structured: a precise routine is taught to the leads who then lead the follows.
* Beginner routines are centrally controlled: each venue teaches the same beginner class on a given day.
* Partners are rotated frequently, allowing Ceroc to advertise classes as "no partner required". This helps in the learning process since when you attend a Ceroc lesson you will dance with experienced and beginners alike. Lessons are organised so that partners are rotated every few minutes or every couple of moves.
* A small number of volunteer experienced dancers (called ''taxi dancers'' or ''taxis'') are often available specifically to dance with beginners.
* Dancers pay for the evening rather than per class.

UK format

In the UK the franchise nature of Ceroc enforces a degree of uniformity across all teachers and all venues. Ceroc classes typically follow the same format,
and comprise:
* A ''Beginners'' lesson, involving a routine of three moves drawn from a restricted repertoire of 12 moves, and lasting approximately 45 minutes. The Beginners routine taught on any given day is the same across all teachers and all venues. This is intended to allow beginners to practise what they have learned with beginners from other venues.
* A freestyle period of approximately 15 minutes, in which beginners are encouraged to practise what they have learned and experienced dancers are free to dance whatever they wish. No moves are barred during a freestyle period, except aerials, and moves are improvised on the spot to the music. Partner-swapping occurs whenever the music changes and does not require leaving the dance floor.
* An ''Intermediate'' lesson, involving a routine of three moves drawn from a much larger repertoire of Intermediate-level moves and lasting approximately 45 minutes. At least one of the Intermediate moves will be a ''Classic'' move intended for new Intermediate dancers. Many of the harder Intermediate moves are based around these ''Classic'' moves. There are 24 ''Classic'' moves. Individual teachers are less constrained as to the content of the intermediate-level lesson. Intermediate moves are more complex and may contain footwork.
* In many venues, depending on available space, a ''Beginners Practice Session'' takes place at the same time, where beginners may review the moves taught in the ''Beginners'' lesson with the help of the taxi dancers. Beginners may instead watch the Intermediate lesson, if they so choose. The usual recommendation is for Beginners to complete approximately six Beginners classes before attempting to move up to Intermediate level.
* A second freestyle period lasting for the rest of the evening, which is around an hour and a half to two hours.

The start time varies from venue to venue but is generally between 7pm and 8pm. Sunday classes often start earlier. Whatever the start time, the entire evening lasts three to four hours in most venues (with rare exceptions).

Australian format

A ''Beginner Progression'

class (also known variously as ''Bridging'', ''Beginner Consolidation'', ''Intromediate'' or ''Freestyle class'

taught at the same time as the ''Intermediate'' or ''Intermediate/Advanced'' class has also been introduced in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Adelaide, involving a breakdown of technique and either a review of the preceding ''Beginner'' class (possibly with some extensions or variations to the moves from that class) or a new routine drawn from a mixture of intermediate and beginner level move

This class is taught at the same time as the ''Intermediate'' class.

Individual teachers are less constrained as to the content of the Intermediate classes, however there is generally a stronger focus on technique (footwork, frame & connection, balance etc.), intermediate skills (dips & drops, leans, spinning etc.) and styling rather than just teaching ''moves''.

A video clip of a Ceroc class filmed in Melbourne can be seen a
Mind Body & Soul

Most Australian schools teach "Step" footwork. See Modern Jive#Step footwork vs Rock footwork

New Zealand format

In New Zealand there are typically ''Beginners,'' ''Intermediate'' and ''Advanced'' classes, with the clearer separation of moves between the classes. Moving up the classes leads to moves which are more complicated, more syncopated and physically closer. Beginners moves have 2-4 timing, preserve contact between partners at all times, have single speed, single turn spins, the dancers keep their balance (no leans, drops or dips) and partners only contact with each other is hands, arms and shoulders. Intermediate moves introduce single speed double spins and assisted double speed turns, contact with the partners back, and leans (in which one partner takes the others' weight with their body). Advanced moves can include multiple speed, multiple turn spins, loss of contact, significant syncopation, dips and drops (in which one partner takes the weight of the other with their arms) and/or contact with different body parts.

Events

Freestyles and Tea Dances

As well as regular class nights, most Ceroc franchises put on special events, termed 'Freestyles', on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Sunday freestyles are termed 'tea dances' and are often held in the afternoon rather than evening. Some freestyle events begin with an 'icebreaker' class, usually at an intermediate level as beginners are unlikely to attend freestyles.

A typical Saturday night freestyle would begin at either 8pm or 9pm and run until between 12midnight and 2am. Freestyles are usually held at larger venues such as town halls, and often have two rooms: the Main Room, usually the largest room playing up tempo music between 100 and 150BPM; and often a 'Blues Room' or 'Chillout' room, playing slower music between 80 and 110BPM, allowing for slower dancing focusing more on connection, interpretation and musicality.

Workshops

Many Ceroc teachers also occasionally run daytime dance workshops at weekends, which in the UK are known as Cerocshops.
A workshop lasts for four hours, and covers more moves than are covered in a single regular evening class. The standard Ceroc workshops are graded (''Beginners 1'', ''Beginners 2'', ''Beginners Plus'', ''Intermediate 1'', ''Intermediate 2'', and ''Intermediate Plus'').
Specialised workshops may also be available which cover more advanced techniques and styles such as ''Dips & Drops'', ''Baby Aerials'', ''Double Trouble'' (one lead, two follows), ''Switch it Up'' (swapping partners), ''Ceroc to Blues'', ''Footwork'', ''Frame'', ''Spins & Turn technique'', ''Musicality'', ''Connection & Posture''. The frequency and content of these workshops depends on the resident teacher or guest teachers who may teach various workshops over the course of a weekend often with a freestyle party in the evening such as Ceroc Aberdeen's Beach Ballroom Weekend or Ceroc Conexion's Extreme Mini Weekender.

Championships

Ceroc Enterprises holds an annual UK Ceroc dance championship. This is held in London (currently at the Watford Colosseum) at the beginning of May with a mix of freestyle dancing and competitions. Competitions range from beginner oriented categories, such as the Lucky Dip (a Jack and Jill competition) and 'Ceroc X' where competitors are restricted to a set list of 8 basic moves, which they have to dance to different musical styles and are judged on performance and musicality.

In recent years, the Intermediate and Advanced Freestyle Categories have been merged into an All Stars category divided into three different age brackets. Above this there is still the Open category, and Top Cats, another Jack and Jill where individual competitors are judged rather than couples. Other categories include Aerials, Showcase, and Team Cabaret competitions.

There are other championships held on a regional or franchise basis, for example the Midlands, Ceroc Scotland and Welsh champs, and the Australasian.

Ceroc also hosts the European Neo-Blues Championships. This is held at the weekender 'Breeze' at the Pontins at Brean Sands in October, and includes an invitational Masters Jack and Jill, Blues Open, Blues DWAS, and Showcase categories.

Weekenders

Ceroc hosts a number of 'Ceroc Escape' dance weekenders throughout the year, attracting hundreds of dancers from around the UK and Europe. Most of these take place at the Pontins holiday resorts at Camber Sands, at Southport and in Somerset. Other more luxurious weekenders are held at hotels, such as LUX and Swish. Freestyle dancing begins on the Friday night and carries on until the Monday morning. During the day a range of classes and workshops is available with teachers from around the country. Most events have a Saturday-night cabaret, featuring teachers, competition and showcase performances.

In 2005 Ceroc Enterprises completed the purchase of Rebel Roc, along with its annual dance weekender event at Pontins, Camber Sands. The first such event under the ownership of Ceroc Enterprises was Ceroc ‘Storm’ at Camber Sands in March 2006. Ceroc Enterprises has expanded its weekender offerings and took over weekender venues from JiveTime (Camber Sands) at the end of 2007 and Jive Addiction (Southport) in August 2008.

References

Further reading

The History of Ceroc

Times article about Ceroc

External links

The Ceroc Enterprises international web site

What to expect of a Ceroc Night

Directory of Modern Jive organizations world-wide

UK Jive - Independent directory of UK dance organisations and events

'Lynda's List' of current and forthcoming UK dance events

Jiveoholics Anonymous - directory of dance moves

The LeRoc Modern Jive Federation

Ceroc and Modern Jive Dance Company Australia web site

Ceroc Perth Western Australia web site

Modern Jive Sydney Australia web site

The Jive Treasure Box - A comprehensive database of Modern Jive moves illustrated
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Swing dances
Partner dance