Blitz Modern Jive has been holding modern jive classes at Crookes WMC, Mulehouse Rd, Crookes for over 12 years. We also have classes in Leeds, Chester, Stockport, and Rainworth near Mansfield. Our website is www.blitzjive.com and we are listed on facebook too.

Crookes on every Wed & Thurs from 7.30pm and is the largest jive night in the region with over 200 dancers attending classes over the 2 nights.

Beginners are welcome, there is a beginners class every Wed & Thurs taught by professional dance instructors.

The min age is 16 but typically our dancers are from the early 20's and upwards, and you don't need to bring a partner, everyone dances with each other, so beginners learn quicker by dancing with experienced dancers.

During the evening there is plenty of dance time to practice your new moves, this happens after the beginners class, before and after the intermediate class. Lessons end at 9.30pm followed by an hour of dance time.

As for the music, we dance to the latest chart hits, swing, Latin, Motown, Soul, R&B, anything with a beat. Many people who come for the first time are surprised, often thinking we only dance to big band music from the '40's!

Once a month we have a social dance night, which attracts dancers from other jive clubs in the region.

Dancing jive keeps you fit, it's fun, you'll make lots of new friends and if you love music you will love modern jive. So why not come along and see for yourself. It might change your life, it does for some.

Its a nice place but get your freestyle dancing in before 9 or you will get trampled elbowed bumped etc.

How beginner is the beginner class? I'd love to do this but am completely inept!

All the classes that have a beginner section are suitable for complete novices - usually there are people specifically designated to help new starters and any decent dancer will be happy to help. I've been dancing for a year and half now and I always go to the beginner lessons (some people skip them) as I feel its only right to help new starters in the same way I was helped.

Beginners actually get their class twice, to make sure that they have plenty of chances to run through it. The 7.30pm lesson goes through the moves, then you get a chance to practice them in freestyle for half an hour or so till the intermediate class starts. Two experienced dancers (one male, one female - the Blitz Jivers) are on duty to dance with beginners up till 10pm, so there's someone you shouldn't be nervous about dancing with (though pretty much anyone there is happy to dance with beginners - we've all been in that situation!).

During the intermediate class, the Blitz Jivers take the beginners' class again in the bar, going through the moves again and also covering aspects the main instructor might not have. It's also a good opportunity to ask questions if there was something you didn't understand, since it's less intimidating than interrupting someone who's up on stage.

Then you have another hour of freestyle to practice.

hello, Just wondering how much this is? and do you have to ring for a place or just turn up i've been wanting to do something like this for a while now could you please pm me with details Holley x

Crookes has a great dance floor, but the music is diabolical. Be nice if they played something from this century or even with a BPM.

I'd really like to try this :)

hello, Just wondering how much this is? and do you have to ring for a place or just turn up i've been wanting to do something like this for a while now could you please pm me with details Holley x

PM sent. Just for anyone else who's wondering, it's £6 a night and there's no need to book - just turn up at 7.30 and pay on the door. (Most drinks are cheaper than in pubs, and you drink them slowly because you're dancing, so most people can have a good night out for under a tenner.)

There's no need to bring a partner either - everyone rotates around the classes to make sure everyone gets the same amount of practice, and in the freestyle parts of the evening people swap partners pretty much each track. (Although you can stick with the same partner in the class or throughout the evening if you like.)

The music's always a topic of conversation - there are old standbys we've heard hundreds of times before, but there are recent releases too - the mix depends on who's DJ'ing. Not sure what MC55 means by "something with a BPM", but as far as I know everything has a BPM - that's beats per minute, and to be a good jive track it has to fall within a certain range - not too fast, not too slow. If it falls outside that range you can't dance to it. But that range is a lot wider than you can dance styles like salsa and tango to.

Not sure what MC55 means by "something with a BPM", but as far as I know everything has a BPM - that's beats per minute, and to be a good jive track it has to fall within a certain range - not too fast, not too slow. If it falls outside that range you can't dance to it. But that range is a lot wider than you can dance styles like salsa and tango to.

It was sarcasm. The music at Crookes is generally very ploddy and slow (in my opinion) and hasn't changed much at all over the years. Its a little better since Debbie took over, but not much.