Jazz Dance is a performance dance and style that arose in the United States in the early 20th century. 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 dance refers to dance forms that emerge from everyday life and cultural practices of a specific community, often reflecting the social, cultural, and historical contexts of that community.

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 the term to classes offered by physical education departments in which students dance to various forms of pop music, in addition to jazz. Some jazz dance classes may use electroswing music, which is a style combining jazz with electronic dance music.

History

The history of modern Jazz Dance is intertwined with the cultural and social experiences of African Americans, tracing its roots back to African dance traditions. Key characteristics of traditional African dance included the use of bent knees, complex rhythms, and the isolation of body parts, all of which contributed to a dynamic and expressive form of movement. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, black performance art began to gain visibility in the United States. The emergence of Vaudeville and minstrel shows provided platforms for black entertainers to showcase their talents. It can be done as a solo or with any number of people.

thumb|200px|right|Lindy Hop dancers (California Dance Festival, 2025)

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". Cole's style has been called hip, hard, and cool". Fosse combined "vaudeville, striptease, magic shows, nightclubs, film and Broadway musicals".

The Charleston

left|thumb|200px|A couple dances 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.

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. 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.

Improvisation

Improvisation is a spontaneous and structured form of choreography that draws upon a deep understanding of various dance traditions. The act of "riffing," where dancers incorporate personal movements into established patterns, exemplifies how improvisation allows for both innovation and adherence to tradition, showcasing the resilience and adaptability of African-American culture. 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.

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.
  • Katherine Dunham was an anthropologist, choreographer, and pioneer in black theatrical dance who introduced isolations Jazz Dance. 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.
  • 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.
  • Hemsley Winfield was a dancer during the Harlem Renaissance. He utilized the black body to discuss racial identity and expression, emphasizing the unique cultural heritage of African Americans. In his 1933 Forum Recital titled “What shall the Negro dance about?”, Winfield highlighted the universal human emotions expressed through movement, while asserting the importance of African cultural roots and Southern work songs.
  • Josephine Baker was a dancer who gained fame in the 1920s with her performances at the Folies Bergère, where her unique style and iconic costumes, such as the banana skirt, captivated audiences. Baker's career included a national tour and recognition as the NAACP's "Woman of the Year."

See also

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

References

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.
  • Improvisation in African-American vernacular dancing on JSTOR. (n.d.). www.jstor.org