The art of dance is a beauty that comes through passion, dedication, determination, and discipline. It brings joy and pleasure to the dancers and viewers.
And while there are tons of dance styles across the globe, jazz style has become all the rage in the American dance culture.
Influenced by hip-hop, tap dance, ballet, and many more dance styles – Jazz maintains a joyous excitement and movement that combines all forms without conventional restrictions.
Whether young, old, or just an aspiring dancer, the characteristics of Jazz are beyond just sheer enjoyment, such as artistic expression, bodily discipline, mindful focus, and physical fitness.
Where Did Jazz Originate: The Cultural Background
Though jazz is considered an American dance, it has roots in African tradition; however, the birthplace of Jazz is still America. This is because the moves were brought to America through the African slave trade.
Enslaved Africans integrated traditional dance and music into their daily lives, laying the groundwork of the Jazz dance that we know today.
In addition, the West-African people were highly involved in somatic cultures where jazz style was considered a celebratory and sacred tradition.
Therefore, the unintentional shift of Jazz to America happened through the African slave trade – making it a mandatory practice in social assemblies, mating rituals, entertainment, fitness, fine art, and religious ceremonies.
Towards the end of the 19th century, ballet and modern dance greatly influenced jazz style, which immediately evolved its form.
Hence, jazz improved its modern rhythms and techniques with the classic blend of ballet techniques and bodily expressions from contemporary dance and promoted a sophisticated artistic quality with individuality.
As American culture continues to evolve, the dance form of jazz grows and improves right along with it.
With jazz being a physical embodiment of discipline, there are different forms of Jazz in our culture today – commercial, modern, Broadway, and vernacular – each bringing a new joy, respect, and life to the traditions of jazz history.
Dance styles such as Jazz are tied to the culture. What makes Jazz unique is its ability to perfectly adapt to the changes over time in correspondence to evolving society while staying true to its cultural roots.
5 Reasons To Learn Jazz Dance
Jazz is an energetic and upbeat form of dance that allows dancers to express themselves through various movement patterns and steps physically.
With classical techniques from modern dance and flowing movements inspired by ballet, there are countless reasons why you should learn jazz dance.
With the fancy footwork, quick turns, big leaps, and unique moves, jazz dancers can put up a great show of focus, discipline, and flexibility. The benefits and reasons for learning jazz dance are described below.
1. Better Coordination
Learning jazz dance can help improve the sense of coordination. Coordination is the human’s ability to take control of different body parts in harmony.
The different patterns of movement and steps of jazz style challenge the upper and lower body in different ways.
Quick turns, lower body extension, leg work, and slow leaps can improve your focus and body coordination.
In addition, it improves the overall balance and movement of the body, reducing the wear and tear on the muscles and joints minimizing the risks of injuries.
Jazz dance can also help improve mental stability. Better coordination leads to enhanced brain activity, improved memory, smooth cognitive functionality, and attention to detail.
2. Cardio Workout
Some of the best jazz schools in the US teach quick turns and moves that require extreme physical effort and concentration.
Although jazz dance challenges the body physically, this type of step is aerobic and requires maximum stamina.
The steps like longer flips, fancy leg work, and slight inclined pelvic can get your heart racing – resulting in the release of endorphins.
It increases your ability to practice for a more extended time, increases physical stamina, improves endurance, and develops strong bones.
3. Artistic Expression
Apart from the health benefits that the jazz style has to offer, it also improves the mindfulness of an individual.
Jazz dance develops the ability to express one’s emotions through body movement. It gives a full-bodied approach to sharing emotions and insights.
Jazz dance develops a euphoric feeling in the dancer, allowing a free flow of personal feelings while promoting physical movement, strengthening and releasing the mind.
4. New Talent & Skill
Learning jazz dance will allow individuals to develop innovative skills while taking up a new talent.
It offers them the capacity to master new dance patterns and step quickly. And they do this while employing the necessary talent to perform those patterns with style and passion.
5. Cross-Training
Besides gaining health and emotional benefits from learning jazz dance, people who know dance benefit in several practical ways.
The emphasis on dynamic performance and rhythmic complexity in jazz dance help performers improve their ability.
Dancers trained in Jazz add complex performance ability and rhythmic coordination to their range, making jazz a vital part of becoming a versatile dancer.
Combining the practical skills, physical benefits, and artistic expressions gives a self-evident answer to the question, “what makes jazz unique?” So now that you have learned how Jazz can help you both physically and mentally let’s roll out for adult dance classes near me.
Find dance lessons near me here on Superprof.
Find The Perfect Jazz Style For Yourself
Jazz has evolved into a global phenomenon, becoming one of the most experimental yet jubilant dance forms.
But the genre doesn’t involve a solitary style. Instead, with years of evolution and cultural shifts, jazz can be broken down into several forms.
As of today, jazz style is more of an umbrella term for different dance forms. Under are some of the most common dance forms of Jazz:
Classical Jazz
Strongly based on classical ballet and modern dance, classical jazz is one of the most exquisite forms of jazz dance. It incorporates clean movements and strong rhythm from the chest and hips.
Charleston
This form of Jazz is all about flair and improvisation. It’s a perfect choice for solo or couple dancing.
The basic steps for this dance type resemble walking. Moreover, the pattern of movements is toes-in and heels-out twisting steps while bending the knees.
Also, the weight is shifted from one foot to another, and the unweighted kicks out at a tilted angle.
Black Bottom
Popular in the early 1900s, the black bottom is yet another joyous dance form of Jazz that involves should and hip movements.
The steps for this dance form are slapping the bottom while hopping forward and backward, stamping feet, and whirling pelvises.
Contemporary Jazz
This type is a fusion of jazz, modern dance, and ballet, involving a precise leg movement with flowy ease in the torso. It focuses on proper body alignment and rhythmic flexibility.
Contemporary jazz is the only common jazz style that’s is widespread today. It promotes expressing dancers’ emotions through body movements, turns, and extensions.
Swing Dancing
Developed during the depressive times of the mid-1920s and World War II, Swing dancing is a lively social dance that anyone can learn.
It was designed to lift people’s spirits and promote an active environment through lifts, flips, and spins. As a result, swing dancing is generally upbeat, energetic, and is fun to practice.
It has also impacted American culture substantially.
Characteristics Of Jazz Dance
Jazz may contain different hip-hop, modern dance, ballet, and Latin American dance features, but it is mainly lauded for these characteristics:
Improvisation
Unlike traditional dances, jazz dance promotes freedom of individuality and expression. Jazz dancers have the space and ability to improvise their dancing routine and express their emotions.
Syncopation & Ad Libbing
Jazz style is a form of dance that requires excitement and urgency that isn’t present in any dance forms.
It demands sudden changes of movement and pace from the dancer and requires both concentration and flexibility.
Musical Connection
The musical connection has its root in improvisation. Jazz dance entails a relationship between the performer and music.
Without this connection, the dancer may find it difficult to express themselves with the music.
Master The Art Of Jazz
The one thing to remember is that no matter what dance style you choose to learn, it’s essential to have consistency.
You can’t expect to become a great dancer in a day – learning with passion, dedication, focus, and consistency can help you achieve your goal quicker.
Therefore, you need to train consistently and work your body to gain muscle flexibility, movement patterns, artistic expression, and much more.
We hope this article has convinced you to sign up for the best jazz schools in the US. Whether a curious child or an aspiring adult, learning jazz dance can be a great way to learn about various styles and cultures.
If you want to master the art of dancing, visit Superprof to learn steps and rhythmic sequences and gain the assurance and self-esteem to advance your dancing career.
With over several tutors in your area and free-first-session on Superprof, you can study the authentic jazz dance to progress to the new and exciting levels of your life for a brighter and more rewarding future.
Enhance your dance repertoire and double the fun by enrolling in our hip hop dance classes to complement your jazz training! Elevate your performance skills as you master the smooth stylings of jazz and infuse them with the urban flair and infectious energy of hip-hop. Our experienced instructors will guide you through a dynamic fusion of techniques, helping you to develop versatility, confidence, and stage presence. Join our vibrant dance community and experience the thrill of blending two electrifying styles into one unforgettable journey. Don't miss this opportunity to expand your dance horizons - enroll today and let your passion for movement take flight!
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