Ceroc - easy and fun social dancing even with two left feet!

If you've ever danced rock'n'roll, jive, lindy hop or swing, you've almost danced Ceroc. Ceroc footwork is a simplified version of these dances: instead of steps and taps, you simply keep stepping, left-right-left-right. Basically, you're walking in time to the music (like Merengue). With the rest of your body, execute the same moves as in rock'n'roll, jive or swing - and you've got basic Ceroc!

The easy walking motion of Ceroc makes it simple to learn . It can be danced to any four-beat rhythm including the latest chart hits, and doesn't suffer from the "old-fashioned" label attached to rock'n'roll or swing. At a more advanced level, drops, dips and sexy moves from Salsa and Mambo have been imported - as in the photo above - so the dance starts to look less like swing and more like dirty dancing.

The beginners' moves are simple and the teaching method means even klutzes have a good chance of picking them up. But probably the biggest reason for Ceroc's popularity is the way it's taught, at least in Australia. The structure of the classes means you really can turn up without a partner and be confident of getting on the dance floor – and meeting lots of members of the opposite sex!

In Australia, Ceroc classes are always run as part of a social evening, and arranged so you don't need a partner. The evening usually starts with a simple "icebreaker' class.To begin, students are paired up in couples and form lines on the dance floor. Usually there are odd numbers of men and women; so the surplus guys/girls line up at the side of the floor. The teacher breaks the dance up into small sections of one or two steps, and teaches one section at a time. Each time a section is completed, students have to change partners, so everyone gets a chance to dance.

So even if you don't have a partner, you're assured of getting on the dance floor - unlike most other dance classes. And because everyone gets to dance with everyone else during the course of a lesson, you have every chance of meeting that hot guy (or girl) that otherwise you might only see on the far side of the dance floor!

The icebreaker class is followed by general dancing. Later in the evening, there may be another beginners' class, or an intermediate class (or both), or a demonstration by professional dancers like the one in the video below.

In Australia, the classes are usually held in licensed clubs, so you can have a drink or even a meal during the evening, making it a real night out. It's no wonder that Ceroc is so popular with 30+ singles, who've outgrown the clubbing scene.

The name "Ceroc" is copyrighted. James Cronin founded the Ceroc company in 1980, but he didn't invent the dance. Because Ceroc (the company) was so successful, many people think Ceroc is the name of the dance - but actually the correct name is "modern jive". There are many other teachers who teach modern jive, but they can't use the name Ceroc because it belongs to the Ceroc company exclusively. So if you're looking for a class and can't find one in your area, look out for similar names (e.g. NuRoc) or modern jive classes.

The name comes from the French "C'est le roc", but it didn't originate in France. James Cronin had spent time in France and seen French people doing Le Bop, and that led him to enrol in a Rock'n'roll course in the UK, taught by a French (actually Mauritian) teacher. However, the course wasn't teaching Le Bop, it was teaching another style called Le Roc, from which Ceroc was born.

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All text copyright Marisa Wright. Photo courtesy of m111er on Flickr