Jazz dance explained

Jazz dance is a performance dance and style that arose in the United States in the early 20th century.^[1] Jazz Dance may allude to vernacular Jazz, Broadway or dramatic Jazz. The two types expand on African American vernacular styles of dance that arose with Jazz Music. Vernacular Jazz Dance incorporates ragtime moves, Charleston, Lindy hop and mambo. Popular vernacular Jazz Dance performers include The Whitman Sisters, Florence Mills, Ethel Waters, Al Minns and Leon James, Frankie Manning, Norma Miller, Dawn Hampton, and Katherine Dunham. Dramatic jazz dance performed on the show stage was promoted by Jack Cole, Bob Fosse, Eugene Louis Faccuito, and Gus Giordano.

The term "Jazz Dance" has been used in ways that have little or nothing to do with jazz music. Since the 1940s, Hollywood movies and Broadway shows have used the term to describe the choreographies of Bob Fosse and Jerome Robbins. In the 1990s, colleges and universities applied to the term to classes offered by physical education departments in which students dance to various forms of pop music, rarely jazz.^[2]

Swing Dancing

In 1917, Jazz pianist Spencer Williams wrote a song called "Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble" which inspired a jazz dance called the shimmy. The shimmy is done by holding the body still "except for the shoulders, which are quickly alternated back and forth". The dances that emerged during this period were the Charleston and the Lindy hop.The Charleston is "characterized by its toes-in, heels-out twisting steps".^[3] It can be done as a solo or with any number of people.

The Lindy hop was a wild and spontaneous partner dance that was extremely rhythmically conscious. When the Great Depression began in October 1929, many people turned to dance. Because of this, the Aubrielle and the Lindy hop are now considered to be under the umbrella term "swing dance stylized, continuously flowing movements that developed the technique and style for the combinations that followed".^[4] Cole's style has been called hip, hard, and cool".^[5] Fosse combined "vaudeville, striptease, magic shows, nightclubs, film and Broadway musicals".^[6]

The Charleston

The Charleston is a dynamic dance that emerged in the early 20th century, named after the harbor city of Charleston, South Carolina. The Charleston incorporated hand clapping, broad movements, and foot stamping, which were directly linked to the African origins of The Juba, a dance that originated from the Kongo.^[7]

Its popularity surged in the 1920s, particularly following the release of the 1923 song "The Charleston," composed by James P. Johnson for the Broadway show Runnin' Wild.^[8] The dance reached its peak between 1926 and 1927, captivating audiences with its energetic and lively movements. The introduction of “The Charleston” in the 1920s evolved Jazz Dance because it could be done alone. At the time, ballroom dance was the norm and required the accompaniment of a partner.

Pop music and television

Contemporary jazz became well known because of its television shows unlike So You Think You Can Dance. Mia Michaels's earlier work exemplifies this style. Some other companies and choreographers that create contemporary jazz dance are Sonya Tayeh, Mandy Moore, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Commercial jazz, which has been popular since the 1980s, combines aspects of hip hop and jazz and is often done to pop music. This style can be seen in the music videos of Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul. Commercial jazz often includes more "tricks." Commercial jazz and contemporary jazz are both seen at dance competitions. Another variety of jazz is Latin jazz. "Maria Torres developed and popularized the fusion at Broadway Dance Center".^[9] Latin jazz has an emphasis on the movement of hips and isolations. It can be seen in the films El Cantante and Dance with Me, as well as on TV dance shows.

Jazz Dance appeared throughout the 20th century and is observable through the media. For example, movies like "A Chorus Line" and "Saturday Night Fever"  helped re-popularize Jazz Dance and added new styles and combinations. In the 1980s, MTV revolutionized dance by showcasing high-energy music videos that combined various styles, including jazz, ballet, and street dance.^[10] Michael Jackson, a black artist, popularized moonwalking after performing it on stage in 1983. Moonwalking is when the performer glides backward while appearing to the audience as they walk forward.

Dancers, directors, choreographers

• Jack Cole influenced Matt Mattox, Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins, and Gwen Verdon, and is credited with popularizing the theatrical form of jazz dance with his great number of choreographic works on television and Broadway.^[11]
• Katherine Dunham is an anthropologist, choreographer, and pioneer in black theatrical dance who introduced isolations Jazz Dance. She notable Black Jazz Dancer and director is Katherine Dunham. She created the Dunham technique, characterized by simple lines, torsos that move in different ways, and a greater variety of tempos and rhythms than most other Western dance styles of that time. In 1944, she opened the K.D. School of Arts and Research in Isadora Duncan's former studio in New York, followed by the Dunham School in 1945, where notable artists like Marlon Brando and James Dean studied.^{[12] [13]}
• Eugene Louis Faccuito also known as Luigi, was an American jazz dancer, teacher, choreographer, and creator of the first codified jazz technique, the Luigi Technique.
• Bob Fosse, choreographer and film director, revolutionized jazz dance with his sexually suggestive movements. His choreography is very recognizable and can be found in the musicals and films that he has choreographed, such as Cabaret and Chicago.
• Gus Giordano was a jazz dancer and choreographer in Chicago known for his clean, precise movement.
• Patsy Swayze, choreographer and dance instructor, combined jazz and ballet, founded the Houston Jazz Ballet Company, and served as its director.^[14]

See also

• Jazz-funk dance
• Jitterbug
• Swing (dance)
• Tap dance
• Vaudeville

Bibliography

• Bailey, A. Peter. Revelations: The Autobiography of Alvin Ailey. Carol Publishing Group, 1995.
• Carter, Curtis. "Improvisation in Dance". The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism. 58, No. 2, p. 181–90. jstor.org
• Cohan, Robert. The Dance Workshop. Gaia Books, 1989.
• Crease, Robert. Divine Frivolity: Hollywood Representations of the Lindy Hop, 1937–1942. In Representing Jazz. Durham: Duke University Press, 1995.
• Dunning, Jennifer. Alvin Ailey: A Life in Dance. Da Capo Press, 1998.
• Reid, Molly. New Orleans: A Haven for Swing Dance Beginners, Professionals. The Times-Picayune. 21 January 2010
• Seguin, Eliane Histoire de la danse jazz. Editions Chiron, 2003.
• Torbert, Margot L. Teaching Dance Jazz. Margot Torbert, 2000.
• Nalett, J., Kraines, M. G., & Pryor, E. (n.d.). History of jazz dance. In Jump Into Jazz (Fifth).
• Jackson, Jonathan David. “Improvisation in African-American Vernacular Dancing.” Dance Research Journal 33, no. 2 (2001): 40–53.

Notes and References

1. News: Wren . Celia . ‘The Jazz Continuum’ explores Black social dance — from past to present - Choreographer LaTasha Barnes celebrates the decades-spanning ties between manifestations of Black artistry in music and dance . November 11, 2023 . . live . https://archive.today/20231111200414/https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater/2023/11/11/jazz-continuum-barnes-kennedy-center/ . November 11, 2023 . November 11, 2023 .
2. Book: Gabbard . Krin . Kernfeld . Barry . The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz . 2002 . Grove's Dictionaries . New York . 1-56159-284-6 . 172 . 2 . 2nd .
3. Web site: Charleston dance . Encyclopedia Britannica . 8 January 2019 . 26 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180626063719/https://www.britannica.com/art/Charleston-dance . live .
4. Book: Mahoney . Billie . The International Encyclopedia of Dance . 1998 . Oxford University Press . Jazz Dance.
5. Web site: Jack Cole . Levine . Debra . Dance Heritage Coalition . 26 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180219104325/http://www.danceheritage.org/treasures/cole_essay_levine.pdf . 19 February 2018 . dead .
6. Web site: How Jazz Works . Clayton . Audrey . www.howjazzworks.com . 2018-06-26 . 26 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180626030810/http://www.howjazzworks.com/index.php/what-is-jazz . live .
7. Book: Africanisms in American culture . 2005 . Bloomington : Indiana University Press . Internet Archive . 978-0-253-34479-3.
8. Web site: James P. Johnson: From "Carolina Shout" To "The Charleston" . 2024-11-24 . Sound American . en.
9. Web site: The Jazz Breakdown . Dance Spirit . 8 January 2019 . 1 April 2014 . 26 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180626082836/https://www.dancespirit.com/the-jazz-breakdown-2326335865.html . live .
10. Nalett . Jacqueline . 2005 . History of Jazz Dance . McGraw Hill.
11. Web site: 100 Treasures - Jack Cole . www.danceheritage.org . 8 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130326102705/http://www.danceheritage.org/cole.html . 26 March 2013 . dead .
12. Web site: The Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts and Humanities . 2024-11-24 . The Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts and Humanities . en-US.
13. Web site: Katherine Dunham: A Life in Dance Articles and Essays Selections from the Katherine Dunham Collection Digital Collections Library of Congress . 2024-11-24 . Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA.
14. Web site: Nelson . Valerie J. . Patrick Swayze dies at 57; star of the blockbuster films 'Dirty Dancing' and 'Ghost' . Los Angeles Times . 29 September 2016 . 15 September 2009 . 2 October 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161002134932/http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-patrick-swayze15-2009sep15-story.html . live .