history of jazz dance

"Jazz dance is a form of personal expression created and sustained though improvisation...it has certain defining characteristics, including improvisation, isolation, a centrifugal explosion of energy that radiates outward from the hips, and a propulsive rhythm that gives a swinging quality to the movement."

-Bob Boross

Jazz is a crossbreed of north American cultures, a music and dance of the slaves of Africa, and old European Jigs and lits, Minstrel shows and presumably, Jazz music. Jazz is part of the genuine folk culture of North America and the only such national tradition. Today any professional dancer male or female can not make it without a Jazz background. The first Jazz dancer to dance to Jazz Music was said to be "Frisco", who spotted Al Jolson and started mimicking him at the Lambs Cafe in Chicago. Marshall and Jean Stearns, in their book Jazz Dance - The Story of American Vernacular Dance, state that jazz dance is a "blend of African and European traditions in an American environment." They feel that European movement contributed an elegance, and that African movement gave a rhythmic style. Lynne Fauley Emery also n

. . .
Now Jazz dance could be taught in dance studios. By the 1940s elements of jazz dance had appeared in modern dance and in motion picture choreography. Tap dance and such social dances as the cakewalk and shuffle became popular vaudeville acts and appeared in Broadway revues and musical comedies as these replaced vaudeville early in the 20th century. " To keep slaves fit on the long journey over to America, slave traders would bring them to the deck and let them dance.

To trace the history of jazz dancing in America, it is therefore necessary to begin in Africa. These dances were continued on at Plantations. Jack Cole, also know as “The Father of Jazz”, created jazz technique. Jazz dance paralleled the birth and spread of jazz itself and was popularized in ballrooms by the big bands of the “swing” era (1930s and '40s). otes the importance of rhythm in African music and dance by using the metaphor of a drumbeat for the heartbeat of Africa. On the stage, “minstrel” performers developed tap dancing from a combination of Irish jigging, English clog dancing, and African rhythmic stamping. In the 50’s American Bandstand brought popular social dances such as “the swing” and “the twist” into the living rooms of America. Dancer’s such as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers helped to increase the popularity of Jazz dance through musicals.

Common topics in this essay:
America American, Africa European, Jazz Hip-Hop, Dance Jazz, jazz dance, Guys Dolls, Night Fever, African European, Father Jazz, North America, Fauley Emery, dance jazz, social dances, dance jazz dance, africa european, african rhythmic, art form, european movement, jazz music, american culture, jazz technique,

Approximate Word count = 882
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Already a member? Click here