I cant seem to get my feet to move fast enough during our routine, especially when my intructor is telling me to try and pick my feet up. Any tips?

Don't let your heel go down to the floor.

hey! im 15 and jive nd cha cha are my two favorite dances i love dancing!!

Speed only comes if you relax. Have you ever seen the instructional video series by Slavik and Karina? It's quite good.

My teacher always tells me i have to push into the floor more with the balls of my feet and be more springy ... I think this tends to help ...

Sarah x

I am always being told that I must think that the floor is red hot and don't stay down too long, get the foot and the knee up in front of your body otherwise it can look heavy. A bit awkward to explain this, but when you chasse to your left your right hip is the highest, now switch so that your left hip is the highest as you chasse to the right. Dont forget there is hip movement on the Fallaway Rock as well as a Link .

Jive speed is arrived from the proper transfer of weight across you Chasse. As one reply stated, the transfer is in the hip action. The firt step is onto a bent knee, hence the hip is left behind. "..at it's highest point..". The second step is a part-weight step on the ball of the foot. Hip postion remains delayed. The third step is the power step! This step is a complete transfer of weight. The foot rolls ball to heel, bent knee to straight knee. As you make a complete transfer of weight at this point, the hip changes sides and your upper body is starting in the other direction (weight falling to other side)hence causing the weight transfer to the first step of your chasse in the other direction, again leaving your hip behind on the other side. Most of jive is the hips catching the feet. Please note if you are a woman, maxium speed is acquired by spinning any step on the third step of the chasse. Your full weight is on your leg, on ball of foot, weight will be falling in a circle before next chasse. This is also a very balanced position for the man to assist your speed without knocking you off your feet. Also remember that jive is compact in step size, hence creating lots of body action.

So why the heck would you want to 'pick up your feet'?

I have never learned in tap dancing or jive dancing that you need to "pick-up" your feet. The more you pick them up the longer you need to put them down. However, I think a lot of teachers say this to get students to stop trying to travel. Most beginners try to cover space, by telling them to pick-up their feet or march, it helps to aid the concept of staying in place with compact movement.

Dancers are told to "pick up your feet" in Jive because it is supposed to look springy and snappy. In competitions, Jive is the last dance and if dancers aren't dancing with knees up causing their feet to come off the floor, it looks like they are tired.

Unlike other swing styles, where the feet stay close to the floor, the Jive requires quick foot action into the floor as well as snappy knee action taking the feet off the floor.