What exactly comes to your mind when you think about jazz dance? Dancers performing Charleston in Harlem nightclubs? Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire wowing spectators in popular Broadway musicals?
Or, do you imagine competitive jazz dancers in shining costumes, stepping, kicking, and strutting across the stage?
Either way, these are all examples of jazz dance. And since the genre is making a drastic comeback, you may gain a lot from learning it.
First, however, if you want to learn the style authentically, it's crucial to know the history and evolution of the discipline.
But owing to its glittery global beginnings, can jazz dance be considered American?
The Case For Jazz To Be Known As An American Genre
Several experts in music and dance claim that jazz can be called uniquely American because it's a mixture of several different cultures, like America.
Additionally, its focus on improvisation and uniqueness relates to US ideals about freedom and individuality.
But can jazz dance be considered solely American? Read on as we briefly explore jazz history and answer the age-old question: where did it originate from?
The Foundations Of Jazz
Jazz dance is as fluid, free form, and experimental as jazz music. It's exuberant, inventive, and a fusion of various artistic ideologies.
And just like Jazz music, Jazz dance is also uniquely American: The syncopated and smooth jazz moves take significant inspiration from Irish and Italian artistic influence.
Without further ado, let's find out why is jazz considered American:
Origin
The original body movements and rhythms of what ultimately became jazz dance were brought by former slaves to America.
The original African dance was earth-centered with:
- Bent knees
- Rhythmic clapping
- Pulsating movements
Due to extended periods of slavery and the subsequent movement of people, most African communities lost their ancestral traditions and intermingled with other European groups.
This blend of cultures produced a new dance form that ultimately became jazz. Even though there was a ban on enslaved people performing dances and playing drums, the tradition continued.
19th Century US
Were you wondering when jazz was invented? The birthplace of Jazz was New Orleans, and it was developed properly in the 19th century. Here's how it started:
White Americans started loving the performances staged by slaves, so they turned these intimate performances into something more significant:
- Vaudeville
- Minstrel shows
These shows were a mockery of African-American dance forms and music. The knock-on effects of these demeaning shows are felt even in today's modern culture, where it's derogatory and racist to style oneself in blackface.
The Dawn Of Jazz
In 1923, 'The Charleston' was all the rage among the American masses. Naturally, African origins directly influenced this genre's hand-clapping and foot-stamping bits.
And during the Great Depression in the 1930s, American masses sought reprieve in dance competitions to win prize bonds.
With Louis Amstrong and Duke Ellington ushering the new swing music, it accompanied a series of new and iconic jazz dance forms such as:
- Lindy Hop
- Jitterbug
- Boogie-Woogie
- Jive
Professional Jazz Dance: The Rise After The Fall
Jazz dance saw a significant decline in popularity due to WW2. So as the attendance at shows declined, dance halls began closing their doors.
Moreover, the dance form started evolving into more complex forms, dissuading new dancers from joining the cause. From a simple social dance, it transformed into a professional dance form.
However, in the long run, experienced professional contemporary and ballet dancers adopted jazz as their professional discipline, further adding refinement to various techniques:
- Jack Cole: Known as the father of theatrical jazz dance, Cole studied many dance forms while improving his style, adding bits from African and East Indian dance. After that, he started providing jazz dance training to professional dancers.
- Gene Kelly: The famous American actor and dancer also became popular in Hollywood. His dance style was energetic and unique, blending gymnastic and athletic qualities with jazz and tap
Many famous people adopted jazz dancing from then onwards, each adding a distinctive flair and inspiring millions. Here are a few renowned jazz dancers with unique jazz styles:
- Katherine Dunham
- Jerome Robbins
- Michael Kidd
- Gus Giordano
- Lester Horton
- Matt Mattox
- Luigi
- Gwen Verdon
- Bob Fosse
- Frank Hatchett
- David Winters
- Michael Bennett
- Lynn Simonson
- Michael Peters
- Mia Michaels
Jazz Dance: A Few Common Style Forms
Jazz is arguably the most revered, longest-lasting, and increasingly popular dance form in the performing industry of America.
Believe it or not, what makes jazz music and dance unique from others is its diverse form of dance styles.
And you can learn any jazz dance style from some of the best jazz schools in the US. Additionally, you can take online and in-person adult dance classes near me.
Nevertheless, here are a few different forms of jazz dance:
Cakewalk
This particular jazz dance style is more prominent than other jazz dance forms. And there's a good reason for it. While most of the jazz dance dates back to darker periods, Cakewalk is a bit different and stands out from others.
Back when slavery wasn't outlawed, making fun of masters was considered a socially reasonable and acceptable practice for enslaved people.
Most of the time, these dances were held at an owners' or master's house and usually transformed into competitions.
Whoever wins the competition would receive a cake as a prize. All dancers would align, high-step in a straight line to mock their wealthy masters and the aristocrats they served.
In short, the Cakewalk was meant to satirize ballroom promenades of white owners that favored the stiffly formal dances of European high society.
Charleston
Even though The Charleston became trendy in the 1920s, it remains popular today.
The basic steps and versatility make it one of the most symbolic dance forms of jazz. It's instantly recognizable and simple to do. Moreover, you can do it solo, in groups, or pairs.
It includes turning the feet inwards and outwards while bending and straightening the knees. Dancers will move their load from each foot, and as the foot is light, it makes a diagonal angle.
In short, Charleston jazz dance involves the quick swinging of both legs and arms.
Broadway Jazz
Broadway jazz is quite popular. Also known as theatre jazz, Broadway jazz dance appeared first in 1920.
This was the first time dance became an integral part of a play. Hence, all initial spectators watching the dance became infatuated with it.
Broadway jazz is the unique mixture of jazz, modern, and ballet and is separate and notable by its focus on:
- High energy
- Exaggerated movements
- Story-telling
These dancers can be seen at popular Broadway musical shows in NYC theatres and various productions such as Cabaret, Cats, Mamma Mia, etc.
Afro-Jazz
The Afro-Jazz dance form blends the original African roots with the contemporary form. It emphasizes improvisation and rhythm, making it more manageable but highly cultural.
Jazz-Pop
Jazz-pop has evolved from contemporary jazz culture. Famously known as "Pop-Jazz," it includes various street-dance, waacking, disco, and vogue elements.
It's a flirty, upbeat, and fun dance style meant to make you feel confident and sassy.
In Jazz-pop, the focus will primarily be on the attitude and overall style; however, it also incorporates turns, kicks, and jumps.
Latino-Jazz
Latino-Jazz dance is one of the aesthetic styles that synthesizes greatly with Latin American culture.
Latino-jazz is mainly performed under Ibero-American (Latin America) rhythms combined with different salsa and samba elements.
Lindy Hop
Lindy Hop is solely an African-American dance that originated in Harlem, NYC. It was first danced in 1928 in the famous "Savoy Ballroom" by African-American dancers.
During the entire 1930s and 40s, Lindy Hop was a popular dance loved by many.
It's often said Lindy-Hop dance was named after Charles Augustus Lindbergh – American Aviator – who "hopped the Atlantic ocean" in 1927.
This dance form evolved from various dances, including breakaway, 1920s Charleston, and jazz; it utilized African-American and European dance elements.
Lindy-Hop dance has various positions (closed and open) and steps.
Boogie Woogie And Swing
Lindy hop and Swing dance were terms utilized interchangeably for a similar dance form until 1945, when several other swing dance styles were invented.
This made Lindy hop one of several forms of swing dancing.
On the other hand, boogie-woogie dance is a form of swing dancing. It's an improvised and playful couple dance.
Often in fast or medium tempo, it demands significant footwork depending on musical interpretation.
Today, boogie-woogie is mainly performed as a cultural dance; however, it is often used as a standard competition dance. Overall, it's a fast dance form involving flying stomps, jumps, hops, and feet.
Black Bottom
Black bottom dance form originated in the 1900s. Dancers slap their bottoms while dancing, hence the name Black bottom.
Couples or soloists hopped backward and forward, stamped feet, and turned their pelves, all while smacking their bottoms.
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