
Jazz Dance is an ideal way to develop dance skills in all aspects – it is lively, energetic, and creatively diverse. A combination of various popular forms, it can vary in technique within the different thought of mind, remaining fluid with the times in which it finds itself. Jazz dance is an umbrella term in dancing that can refer to several related dance styles. All of those dance styles are connected via common roots, namely tap, ballet, jazz music, and African-American rhythms and dance.
The Jazz Dance has become one of the most popular dance styles in recent years. The main reason behind this is its popularity on television shows, movies, music videos, and commercials. People enjoy watching jazz dancers to dance, as the dancing is fun and energetic. Jazz dancing is a form of dance that showcases an individual style and originality of a dancer. Every jazz dancer interprets and executes dance moves and steps in their own way. This type of dancing is energetic and fun, it consists unique moves, fancy footwork, big leaps and quick turns. To excel in jazz, dancers need a strong background in ballet, as it encourages grace and balance of the dancer.
Technique of Jazz Dance
A technique is a foundation for all dance movement. A strong technical foundation enables a dancer to focus on the stylistic and performance aspects of the dance. The technique is essential for jumps and turns, where correct posture is essential to properly execute such dance moves. Also, jazz dancers are greatly aided strong and sharp movements by a good background in ballet technique.
Center control is important in jazz dance technique. The center part of the body is the focal point from which all movement emanates, thus making it possible to maintain balance while executing powerful Jazz movements. Jazz dance classes require some form of moderate intensity stretching before the dance in order to warm up the muscles and help prevent injuries. Some techniques used in the warm-up consist of elongating leg muscles and strengthening the core of the body.
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Different Styles of Jazz Dance
Jazz dance mainly originated in Africa and during the time of slavery, it was brought to the United States. African dance was very different than the social dancing in Europe of that time, which was characterized by a stiff upper body. Africans adopted a style which is looser and more fluid style of dance.
Based on this history, Jazz dance evolved into several distinct styles:
- Cakewalk
- Black Bottom
- Charleston
- Lindy Hop
- Jitterbug
- Swing
- Boogie Woogie