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Jazz dancers.

Jazz dance is an umbrella term that can refer to several related dance styles. All of them are connected via common roots, namely tap, ballet, jazz music, and African-American rhythms and dance. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 652 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (666 × 612 pixel, file size: 83 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Jazz dancers adapted from flickr photo by Alvaro Arriagada. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 652 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (666 × 612 pixel, file size: 83 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Jazz dancers adapted from flickr photo by Alvaro Arriagada. ... Man tap dancing. ... For other uses, see Ballet (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ...

History

Jazz dance originated from the African American vernacular dance of the late 1800s to the mid-1900s. An early popular "jazz dancer" was vaudeville star Joe Frisco in the 1910s. He danced in a loose-limbed style close to the ground while juggling his derby and cigar. African American dances in the vernacular tradition (academically known as African American vernacular dance) are those dances which have developed within African American communities in everyday spaces, rather than in dance studios, schools or companies. ... Joe Frisco was an American vaudeville performer who first made his name on stage as a jazz dancer, but later incorporated his stuttering voice to his act and became a popular comedian. ...

Until the middle of 1950s, the term "jazz dance" often referred to tap dance, because tap dancing (set to jazz music) was the main performance dance of the era. During the later jazz age, popular forms of jazz dance were the Cakewalk, Black Bottom, Charleston, Jitterbug, Boogie Woogie, Swing dancing and the related Lindy Hop. The Jazz Age , 1929 movie poster: A Scathing Indictment of the Bewidered Children of Pleasure. ... Cakewalk is a traditional African American form of music and dance which originated among slaves in the US South. ... This article refers to the neighborhood. ... Josephine Baker dancing the Charleston at the Folies Bergère, Paris, in 1926 A USPS stamp from the Celebrate the Century series: Flappers Doing the Charleston by John Held Jr. ... The Jitterbug is a swing dance, a subset of Lindy Hop, with an emphasis on 6-count moves and fast spins. ... Boogie woogie has two different meanings: a piano based music style, boogie woogie (music) a dance that imitates the rocknroll of the 50s, boogie woogie (dance) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Swing is a group of related street dances, that evolved from Lindy Hop. ... Dancing the lindy hop at the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee, Sacramento, California, USA (2006) Lindy hop is an African American dance that evolved in New York City in the late 1920s and early 1930s. ...

After the 1950s, pioneers such as Katherine Dunham took the essence of Caribbean traditional dance and made it into a performing art. With the growing domination of other forms of entertainment music, jazz dance evolved on Broadway into a new, smooth style taught today and known as Modern Jazz, while tap dance continued to evolve on its own. The performance style was popularized by Bob Fosse’s work, such as Chicago, Cabaret, Damn Yankees, and The Pajama Game. Katherine Dunham in 1956 Katherine Mary Dunham (22 June 1909 – 21 May 2006) was an African-American dancer, choreographer, songwriter, author, educator and activist who was trained as an anthropologist. ... West Indies redirects here. ... For other uses of Broadway, see Broadway. ... Bob Fosse, early promotional image Bob Fosse (June 23, 1927 – September 23, 1987) was a musical theater choreographer and director. ... Chicago is a Kander and Ebb musical set in prohibition era Chicago. ... Cabaret is a 1972 film. ... Damn Yankees is a musical comedy, a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s (when the New York Yankees dominated Major League Baseball), in Washington, D.C., with a script by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. ... The Pajama Game is a musical based on the novel 7-1/2 Cents by Richard Bissell. ...

Today, jazz dance is present in many different venues and different forms. Jazz dance thrives in dance schools and remains an essential part of musical theater choreography; it is sometimes interwoven with other dance styles as appropriate for the particular show. Jazz dancing can be seen in some music videos, and even a number of Las Vegas showgirls are jazz dancers. Jazz Dance can also be seen on the hit show, "So You Think You Can Dance", and is performed by dance companies around the world. Musical theater (or theatre) is a form of theatre combining music, songs, dance, and spoken dialogue. ... Look up Choreography in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A music video (also video clip, promo) is a short film or video meant to present a visual representation of a popular music song. ... For further information, see Las Vegas metropolitan area and Las Vegas Strip. ...

Technique

Technique has nothing to do with dance because it consists of slower movements that strengthens body and improves balance. This is also beneficial for jumps and turns where correct posture is necessary to properly complete the jump and/or turn. Jazz dancers' strong and sharp movements are aided by ballet technique. Jazz dance can take many different paths. It is often competed in large groups in its more traditional form, but can also cross over into other styles of dance to be lyrical or contemporary. It can also be highly influenced by hip hop styles.

Jazz relies heavily on originality and improvisation. Many jazz dancers have different takes on the dance, incorporating different styles into the dance.

Some basic moves include: ball change, twist, pivot step, touch step, Piqué passé, stag leap, jete`, pencil spin, barrel turn, fan kick, jazz walk, jazz run, jazz square, hip walk, chasses, cat walk, catch step, pas de bouree, split jumps, renversé, chainé, switch leap, calypso, and pirouettes. Ball change is a dance move that consists of two steps: a partial weight transfer on the ball of a foot (placed e. ... The word Twist has the following meanings: The Twist, 1960s dance Wing twist, change of the cross-section shape of a wing along the span. ...

Notable directors, dancers, and choreographers

• Jack Cole, considered the father of jazz dance technique. He was a key inspiration to Matt Mattox, Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins, Gwen Verdon, and many other choreographers.
• Bob Fosse, a noted jazz choreographer who created a new form of jazz, inspired by Fred Astaire and the burlesque and vaudeville styles.
• Gus Giordano, a highly influential jazz dancer and choreographer.
• Eugene Louis Facciuto (aka Luigi), a dancer who in the 1950s created a warmup routine designed to prepare his body for dancing after being paralyzed in a car accident.Luigi is the Father and Innovator of Jazz Dance.

• Jerome Robbins, choreographer for a number of hit musicals, including Peter Pan, The King and I, The Pajama Game, Fiddler on the Roof, Gypsy, Funny Girl, and West Side Story. He also directed the last four. He also founded the ballet company Ballets USA.
• Gwen Verdon, known for her roles in Damn Yankees, Chicago, and Sweet Charity.

The following persons are known under this name. ... Bob Fosse, early promotional image Bob Fosse (June 23, 1927 – September 23, 1987) was a musical theater choreographer and director. ... Fred Astaire (May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987), born Frederick Austerlitz in Omaha, Nebraska,[1] was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. ... For other uses, see Burlesque (disambiguation). ... This article is about the musical variety theatre. ... Gus Giordano (1924-) is a prominent jazz dancer. ... Jerome Robbins (October 11, 1918 - July 29, 1998) was an American choreographer whose work has included everything from classical ballet to contemporary musical theater. ... Gwyneth Evelyn Verdon (January 13, 1925 – October 18, 2000) was an acclaimed Tony Award-winning American dancer and actress, known professionally as Gwen Verdon. ...

External links

• Jazz Dance Dictionary
• Jazz Dance World Congress
• The Columbia City Jazz Dance Company
• Street-Fusion Jazz Dance essay on JazzCotech website