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jazz dance

 

n.
Any of various dances characterized by the use of improvisation and influenced by rhythms and techniques of jazz music.

jazz-dance jazz'-dance' (jăz'dăns') v.
jazz dancer jazz dancer n.

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Dance form developed by African-Americans in the US in the early part of the 20th century. It drew on African rhythms and techniques which isolated various parts of the body in movement. The name was first used during the First World War, and by the 1920s jazz had been taken up by white society. Its absorption into show business, through exposure in films, on television, and on Broadway, guaranteed it an enormous and enduring audience. One of the earliest instances of theatrical jazz dance was Balanchine's ballet Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, the danced climax to the Broadway musical On Your Toes (1936). Leading jazz choreographers included Katherine Dunham and Bob Fosse. The influence of jazz can also be seen on the ballet stage, especially in works by Robbins and Tharp.

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categories related to 'jazz dance'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to jazz dance, see:
  • Dances of the World - jazz dance: modern dance form performed to jazz music, esp. in quadruple time, based on standardized movements


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Jazz dance

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Modern jazz dancers.

Jazz dance is a classification shared by a broad range of dance styles. Before the 1950s, jazz dance referred to dance styles that originated from African American vernacular dance. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance—modern jazz dance—emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance. Every individual style of jazz dance has roots traceable to one of these two distinct origins.

Contents

History

Traditional

Until the mid 1920s, jazz dance referred to the dance styles that originated from the African American vernacular dance of the late 19th century to mid-20th century. Jazz dance often referred to tap dance because tap dancing, set to jazz music, was one of the predominant dances of the era. Jazz dance evolved over time to spawn a diverse range of social and concert dance styles. During the later jazz age, popular forms of jazz dance included the Cakewalk, Black Bottom, Charleston, Jitterbug, Boogie Woogie, swing and the related Lindy Hop. Today, many of these dance styles are still popular and continue to be practiced and taught.

Modern

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 the new, smooth style that is taught today and known as modern jazz, while tap dance branched off to follow its own, separate evolutionary path. The performance style of jazz dance was popularized to a large extent by Bob Fosse's work, which is exemplified by Broadway shows such as Chicago, Cabaret, Damn Yankees, and The Pajama Game. Modern jazz dance continues to be an important element of musical theatre, and it can often be seen in music videos and competitive dance.

Modern jazz dance

Jazz dancers often wear leather jazz shoes, to help them move smoothly when executing turns (e.g. pirouette).[citation needed]

Prior to dancing, dancers typically perform exercises in order to warm up and stretch muscles so as to prevent injuries. In addition, core strengthening exercises are often used for conditioning.

Technique

In a toe rise, the dancer rises from a kneeling position while supporting the body on the tops of the toes.
An acro dancer performs a straddle split leap, one of several leaps also found in jazz dance.

Modern jazz dance is frequently influenced by other dance styles such as acro, ballet, contemporary, lyrical, and hip-hop. In turn, many other dance styles are influenced by jazz dance.

As in most forms of dance, technique is the foundation for all modern jazz dance movement. In particular, jazz dancers benefit from a sound working knowledge of ballet technique and, consequently, hip hop dance curriculum commonly includes ballet training.

Modern jazz dance encompasses various techniques, including:

Center control
By treating the center of balance as the point from which movements emanate, it becomes possible to maintain balance and control while executing movements that would otherwise take the dancer off balance.
Spotting
This enables dancers to maintain balance and control while executing turns such as pirouettes and fouettés, by reducing the dizzying effect of repeated rotation.
Pointing
When pointing, dancers stretch their ankles and point their toes so as to align their feet with the leg lines in an aesthetically pleasing manner.

Notable directors, dancers, and choreographers

  • Michael Jackson, or "The King Of Pop" revolutionized the dance, introducing the moonwalk,the tip toes and the spin.
  • Katherine Dunham, a pioneer in Black theatrical dance.
  • Jack Cole, considered the father of jazz dance technique.[1] He was a key inspiration to Matt Mattox, Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins, Gwen Verdon, and many other choreographers.
  • Eugene Louis Facciuto (aka "Luigi"), an accomplished dancer who, after suffering a crippling automobile accident in the 1950s, created a new style of jazz dance based on the warm-up exercises he invented to circumvent his physical handicaps.
  • Bob Fosse, a noted jazz choreographer who created a new form of jazz dance that was inspired by Fred Astaire and the burlesque and vaudeville styles.
  • Gus Giordano, an influential jazz dancer and choreographer.
  • Jerome Robbins, choreographer for a number of hit musicals, including Peter Pan, The King and I, Fiddler on the Roof, Gypsy, Funny Girl, and West Side Story.
  • Gwen Verdon, known for her roles in Damn Yankees, Chicago, and Sweet Charity.
  • David Winters known for his role as A-Rab in West Side Story and as an award winning choreographer for movies and TV programs.

References

  1. ^ "Jack Cole: Jazz (documentary)". Dance Films Association. http://www.dancefilmsassn.org/Aboutfiscal-cole.html. Retrieved May 9, 2011. 

Bibliography

  • Eliane Seguin, "Histoire de la danse jazz", 2003, Editions CHIRON, ISBN 2-7027-0782-3, 281 pp
  • Jennifer Dunning, "Alvin Ailey: a life in dance", Da Capo Press, 1998 - 468 pp
  • A. Peter Bailey, "Revelations: the autobiography of Alvin Ailey", Carol Pub. Group, 1995 - 183 pp
  • Margot L. Torbert, "Teaching Dance Jazz", Margot Torbert, 2000, ISBN 0976407108, 9780976407102
  • Robert Cohan, "The Dance Workshop", Gaia Books Ltd, 1989, ISBN 0-04-790010-5



 
 
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American Heritage Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Oxford Dictionary of Dance. The Oxford Dictionary of Dance. Copyright © 2000, 2004 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more
Random House Word Menu. © 2010 Write Brothers Inc. Word Menu is a registered trademark of the Estate of Stephen Glazier. Write Brothers Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia on Answers.com. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Jazz dance Read more

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