The Jive is a lively and uninhibited variation of the Jitterbug, a type of Swing dance. In 1938, Glenn Miller introduced his own Jive dance with the song “Doin’ the Jive,” but it never became popular. The Jive is categorized as one of the five International Style Latin dances and is typically performed at a speed of 176 beats per minute in competitions. However, in some cases, the speed is reduced to a range of 128 to 160 beats per minute.

Many of the basic patterns in Jive are similar to those in the East Coast Swing, with the main difference being the highly rhythmic Triple Steps (Chasses).

The Jive is a joyful and energetic dance that involves plenty of knee-lifting, bending, and hip-rocking. It is the fastest of the International Latin dances and incorporates lots of kicks, flicks, and even twirling of the woman. Unlike other dances, it doesn’t involve much movement around the dance floor. Although Jive dancers may appear to be moving their feet in various directions, their feet are well-controlled under their bodies with their knees close together.

Both the Jive and the East Coast Swing share many figures and have the same style and tempo of music. The overall essence of Jive is characterized by high energy, with the legs reflecting a pumping action. The basic Jive and the East Coast Swing consist of two triple steps and a rock step. However, the Jive differs in terms of its counting sequence, starting with the rock step counted as “1, 2.” The two triple steps are then counted as “3 and 4” and “5 and 6.”