About us

The International Academy of Modern Jive is a dynamic, professional international dance company engaged solely in the excellence of the teaching, teacher training, teacher accreditation, development, national and international promotion of Modern Jive.

The IAMJ is the only Modern Jive training organisation in Australia and the UK that provides high quality comprehensive teacher training at all levels exclusively for independent dance teachers. Operating since 1997 in the UK the IAMJ expanded in 2000 to Australia and now its membership continues to grow in both countries.

The Australian Dancing Society (ADS) and the United Kingdom Alliance for Professional Teachers of Dancing (UKA) have given their professional endorsement to our Teacher Training, including all our Teacher Training Materials. In addition, the IAMJ is recognised for offering flexible, transparent and systematic learning pathways for Professional Qualifications in Modern Jive.

The IAMJ, in conjunction with the ADS, provides a complete syllabus for all grades of Medal Tests and Professional Examinations.

The IAMJ has only professionally trained and/or qualified Modern Jive teachers as its members. The IAMJ offers its members a range of unique benefits to enhance and grow their business such as professional development including new moves workshops to providing constructive interaction with other Modern Jive colleagues nationally and internationally to avenues for the promotion and marketing of their classes.




Patrice Calleja
BA (Hons), Dip Ed, MUKA Examiner, MIDTA, ADS Lic. Examiner

Patrice Calleja, Co-Founder and Director of The International Academy of Modern Jive, is a professionally qualified dance teacher and is a Member of and Examiner with the United Kingdom Alliance for Professional Teachers of Dancing (UK), a Member of the International Dance Teachers Association (UK), Member of and Examiner (Modern Jive) with the Australian Dancing Society (Australia), a Member of the Queensland Associated Dance Studios (Australia).

Patrice specialises solely in Modern Jive and is a leading international authority on the dance. She has been invited by several professional dance societies to present and conduct seminars, lectures, teacher training workshops, medal presentations on Modern Jive at their annual conferences throughout the UK and Australia. She is an elected member to Ausdance (Qld) Management Committee. In addition to being the author of the Modern Jive Teacher Course Pack, The Modern Jive Cue Cards and the Teaching Points Booklet she has written numerous articles and she has also made TV appearances on the dance.

Patrice and Chris Chainey, co-founder of the IAMJ, established and operated their own highly successful Modern Jive dance classes in South-East England and Australia. Together they also taught Modern Jive in the top dance schools in London. Both are Founder Executive Members of the Le Roc French Jive Federation (UK). In addition, Patrice contributed to the writing, promotion and eventual accreditation of the Modern Jive syllabus in the UK. On behalf of the IAMJ, Patrice wrote and compiled the Australian Modern Jive syllabus and together Patrice and Chris were the driving force behind its accreditation.

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