About Jazzjiveswing Teachers

James and Bridget head up Jazzjiveswing. Former UK Lindyhop Champions and international teachers, there’s nothing they don’t know about swing dancing, whether it’s Jive, Lindy Hop or Balboa

Their dance philosophy is simple: It’s gotta be fun. And there’s never a dull moment in their classes. James is the man who got the whole jive and swing dance movement off the ground in Gloucestershire when he set up Jazzjiveswing classes here in 1991.

James trained with all the greats of swing dance From Frankie Manning to Steven Mitchell and Erin Stevens, The Rhythm Hot Shots, and many more in the 1980's. Five years at Pineapple dance Studios Covent Garden and Danceworks Balderton Street honed his dance and teaching abilities. In 1988 he formed Jazzjiveswing (then known as The Rock dance Company) specifically to teach his first love swing dance. Performing and teaching in London it wasn't long until he was asked to teach a short Jive course in Stroud, Gloucestershire and 30 students turned into 120 in the next term and so on as more and more people caught the bug. Moving from London to Gloucestershire, as he is a country boy at heart, meant that Gloucestershire got one of the best swing dance teachers on the planet in it's back yard and James got to meet Bridget.

Bridget trained as a Ballet Dancer turning down the Royal Ballet in preference for horses and university. She had always been a massive fan of swing music loving Louis Armstrong and Count Basie and was ecstatic to find there was a dance that went with her favourite music

They started to teach together in 1992 and Jazzjiveswing opened Jive and Lindy Hop classes in Gloucester, Cheltenham, Cirencester training teachers and creating the dance scene in gloucestershire. Jive and Swing Dance classes soon followed in Malvern, Worcester, Kidderminster, Tewkesbury and Bristol. He and Bridget launched Jumpin’ at the Woodside, the international swing dance camp, in 1995, and went on to win the UK Lindy Hop championships at the height of it's fame against 50 other top UK couples in 1996. They have brought the huge wealth of Swing Dance knowledge into thier teaching of absolute beginners way up to advanced dancers. People they have trained from baby beginners have gone on to win the UK championship as well as teach. So when you step into class with these guys you are getting El Primo,the best,the mutts nuts. the bees knees.

Nicky and Jim
Nicky & Jim have been teaching Jive and Lindyhop together for 10 years. Nicky started dancing 17 years ago after attending James first Jive class held in Gloucestershire. Since then she has gone on to teach dance all over Gloucestershire to both adults & children in various schools & colleges in the Gloucestershire area and is a qualified Gloucestershire dance leader. She has an ability to reach people of all ages with her upbeat sense of humour & style.

Jim is a protégé of the great “Big Ron” Leslie and he has a natural ability to feel the soul of the music, as one top UK swing DJ recently stated he is “One of our favourite sons” His passion is for swing music and dance and is forever scouring the charity shops for obscure vinyl chasing the next “Tune”. They have been taught by many of the leading international teachers and gleaned a great deal of knowledge, which they have an ability to pass on to their classes. They teach a Varity of dances styles, including a “mean”collegiate shag, which is Nicky & Jims passion. Whichever style they dance has been described as “smooooth”

Kim and Gabi
Kim and Gabi run the jive class in Malvern. Kim has always danced and has a great love of music. He started partner dancing in 1996 taking on his first jive steps and quickly progressing to Lindy Hop. He has always danced, starting with disco at an early age. This means he has inate rhythm and great timing this alone would be great but Kim also see's the steps and shapes in a way that makes him a great teacher.

Gabi, just the same as Kim, has always danced and it was in a disco in 2000 that they first met. Gabi hadn't partner danced before but took to it like a duck to water and has never looked back her great sense of style is always impressive and by 2002 was teaching with Kim. For the next while Gabi will be taking more of a backstage roll as she is busy at work and at home. 

Kim's musical tastes are wide and varied from the passion of Romeo & Juliet, right through to Mercy from Duffy -  he says 'music to me is the pulse of life,  just cant live without it. If you've got a crisis there's always a piece of music that will lift you up, if you are having a good time, music makes it even better.'

Frankie and Phil
In Birmingham there are no better Lindy teachers there classes are fun and very well taught. (More to Follow)

Anita
Anita took up jive and swing dancing in 1996 and was immediately bitten with the bug. She has travelled vastly on many continents in search of the 'essence of swing dance' and studied with all the great names of Lindy Hop. She has an encyclopedia of variations for the ladies and has recently even risked the odd airstep! She started teaching Lindyhop in 2005 and now teaches the regular wednesday night Lindy Hop classes at Dowty's Cheltenham with James. She likes her music strong, her men connected and when adventure beckons she keeps her feet under her backside under her head!

Linda
Linda has taught with James at Gloucester for nearly 2 years. She has danced since she was tiny and her immense experience in both the ballroom and linedance worlds means she brings a great deal of dance knowledge along with her natural talent. Fast and as far of the floor as you can get are her watchwords although slow and groovy works for her too.