Description
Modern Jive Society
Overview
ABBA were right when they said "You can dance, You can Jive...", because you can! Modern Jive is an easy-to-learn, partner dance that mixes elements of Swing, Lindy-Hop, and Rock ‘n’ Roll. It can be danced anywhere from clubs to balls, primarily to modern pop music or any song with a 4-beat time signature.
UoB’s Modern Jive Society hosts a lesson every week teaching different moves each week (so no pressure to come to every class). We welcome dancers of all abilities, including those who have never danced before, and there’s no need to bring a partner with you.
Our classes are taught by a professional couple: Matt Kavanagh and Sarah Price. We divide up into those who want to 'lead' and those who want to 'follow' (anyone can lead or follow so pick your fancy!). Throughout the lesson we swap partners around the room; so you'll meet half the room by the end of a lesson. Our society is designed around inclusivity and having fun while learning to dance!
Lesson time and location
Beginners lessons are held every Tuesday evening in the Anson Rooms:
- Before 1st October: 9:00-11:00 pm: beginners lesson and optional freestyle
- After 1st October: 8:00-11:00 pm beginners and intermediate with optional freestyle
Our first lesson back will be another Give it a Go session so check out our Events page to sign up!
To buy tickets for our classes head here.
Membership, individual lesson pricing and bundles
Lessons for non-members - £5
Lessons for members - £3
Full-year membership - £10 (30% discount when buying a membership during Welcome Week!)
What does membership include?
- reduced rate of £3 instead of £5 for lessons
- access to lesson bundles
- discounted t-shirts
- discounts at our society socials
- being part of the modern jive family scheme
- opportunity to join us at the World Modern Jive Championships, Blackpool Tower
Bundle of 4 lessons - £11
- membership price not included
- offer will stand for the full year
- reduced rate of £2.75 per lesson
Bundle of 10 lessons (whole term) - £27
- membership price not included
- offer will stand for the full year
- reduced rate of £2.70 per lesson
Bring a Friend for Free
- bring a friend along and you'll get a free lesson on us
- offer will stand for the full year
N.B. Bundles and Bring a Friend for Free are only available to members.
Remember, if you want to join Modern Jive Society but are struggling financially, you can apply for an activity hardship fund which could potentially cover up to £100 of your costs.
Socials
We have loads of fun socials planned this year! Take a glimpse:
- Dance on the Downs
- Coffee and a chat
- Pub trips!
- Movie and pizza night
- Explore Bristol walks
- Halloween social
- Board games night
Competitions and Freestyles
Freestyles are special events, usually on a Friday or Saturday evening. They are great opportunities to continue dancing outside classes, try out our moves in a different context, and meet even more people. These are very social events and such great atmospheres, sometimes jiving til' the middle of the night!
We also plan to attend various workshops and competitions around the country including the big one - the World Modern Jive Championships in Blackpool! This year, the competition will be held 4th-6th April. Beginner's are welcome as there are many categories to dance in. This is a super fun way to explore the world of Modern Jive outside of the university and make new friends and great memories.
Our Teachers
Matt & Sarah have over 50 years of dance experience between them and qualified as modern jive teachers in 2009. Sarah has a background of ballet, tap and jazz dancing whilst Matt first started by line dancing. Sarah discovered modern jive as a Fresher at the University whilst Matt danced in the local modern jive scene in the city. They've both competed in many modern jive competitions with Matt a twice World Open Modern Jive Champion and Sarah with several UK Open titles to her name. Both were part of the ground-breaking 2 Hot Rhythm competition team, and went on to choreograph and coach BUST (the Bristol University Student Team) who continued their success on the dance floor. Teaching all over the country and beyond, we're lucky to have lessons from our teachers every week!
Social Media
We're a social bunch; check out our social media to get social and even make music suggestions for classes. You can also email us at bristolleroc@gmail.com if you have any questions!
2024-25 committee
President: Carey Bennington
Secretary: Ruth O'Leary
Treasurer: Ruth Ironmonger
Social Secretary: Esther Archer
Equality and Diversity Officer: Esther Archer
Social Media Secretary: Seb Ma'Har & Samira Moradi
Terms and conditions
Click here to view terms and conditions
Membership Fee Inclusions
All Society members can expect to receive:
- Entrance to all Modern Jive lessons (Thursday Student Classes at the SU) for the member price of £3 per lesson rather than the non-member price of £4.
- The opportunity to stand for a committee position or vote in their elections.
Possible extra expenses
It is advisable but not necessary to buy dance shoes if you come along regularly. These include anything with a smooth - preferably suede - sole.
If you wish to come to the Blackpool Modern Jive World Championships in March to perform or watch you will have to pay the ticket, travel and accommodation although it will be arranged. It is usually around £120 depending on the type and number of events chosen. Many stuudents who join in September are good enough to compete by the time the championships come around.
Code of Conduct
When joining a club or society you are agreeing to abide by the constitution, general rules, regulations and policies of University of Bristol Students’ Union and also the Club or Society Code of Conduct which sets out the level of behaviour & discipline expected of all Club & Society members.
We operate a safe space policy and it's important to understand that dance is for fun and for the music, not for bothering people.
Refund Policy
Any customer who pays for a membership subscription to a Bristol SU Society, Sports Club, Student Media and initiatives has a 14 day cooling off period from the time and date of purchase during which they have the right to cancel the subscription and receive a full refund. If you do decide to cancel within the 14 days, Bristol SU will refund your payment within a further 30 days of the cancellation. To request a refund please email: bristolsu@bristol.ac.uk
These terms shall be governed by English law and are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts. Nothing in these terms shall exclude liability for fraudulent misrepresentation.
