Jazz Dance Research Paper

Back in the ninteenhundreds this was the time period where different styles and techniques of dance were created among people with different backgrounds and experiences. During this time period dance styles like tap and Jazz were created and had many people to influence this kind of dance in order for this style of dance to become as popular as it did. However, people have a controversy whether if jazz or tap dance is considered an art or an entertainment. In society, people viewed Jazz either as art or entertainment because where and when people performed there and how their personality is shown in the dance and what interpretation people get out of the performance. Tap on the other hand people had the same views as they did for jazz and most people say tap and jazz relate to each other because many of the techniques are very similar and they are all American dances that eventually evolved into different styles and how it's portrayed on the dance floor. Therefore even though these both dances have different significance in style, they both have the same journey of beginning as a form of entertainment to an art, but still having that aspect of entertainment in mind.

The birth of jazz music is often credited to African Americans, though it didn’t take long to expanded to America's white middle class. Jazz, therefore, was characterised by a meshing of African American traditions and ideals with white middle class societies. Big cities like New York and Chicago were

Since it was created, and till this day, ragtime and jazz has had many influences on people such as classical composers like Ravel and Debussy. More specific pieces composed have been used in successful films; ragtime also had an influence on the dance styles that are used today. Dances such as cakewalk, foxtrot, and two-step are very popular today (historyjazz.com). Those involved with dance, and educated on the genre of music that is being danced to, can have a better understanding of style and have more of a successful

Ashley Pritchard General Hambrick DANC 230 3 October 2017 Jerome Robbins Jazz dancing has evolved from so many varieties of dance styles from the late 1800’s to modern day. Gus Giordano states that “jazz dance came to America by the way of the slaves, their music and dances that were born from living and came from the soul” (Giordano, Gus v). Since the time that this style of jazz dance has brought its way over to the United States it has evolved greatly and has made drastic change in its particular style. Jazz dance started originally with tap dancing, then in the twenties and thirties the terminology of “jazz dance” made way to larger rhythmic dance social circles such as Jitterbug, Charleston, and the Big Apple (Giordano, Gus 111). The line between

The first appearance of jazz was at the turn of the century in New Orleans and is called “Dixieland Jazz,” or “Classic Jazz.” It developed out of music for street parades in the black community. It also had deeper roots in a style of music called “Blues,” which was used to express the

During the Harlem Renaissance, dance by African Americans was becoming increasingly popular. White Americans would go into Black ballrooms and watch African Americans dance, like in the Savoy Ballroom, despite the belief of segregation. This ballroom was a place for African Americans to express themselves and their dance, and as some mentioned in the video, 'it felt like the African Americans were white walking into their ballroom and whites were blacks'; African Americans were the ones who owned the establishment. One of the dances performed by African Americans was the Lindy Hop. This dance was fast paced and very acrobatic.

Jazz which had been prominent during and after the war was suited to the new music rhythms so it flourished. Old top picks like the Waltz and Foxtrot remained popular. The move that everyone was doing in the 1920's is the Charleston. The Charleston was acquainted with general society in the Ziegfield Follies of 1923 by the all dark cast Afro-American Broadway musical. These were most prominent moves during the decade with the foxtrot, waltz, and American tango. From the mid 1920s, other dances like the Lindy Hop was introduced as well.

Meltingpot.fortuecity.com states the in the 1930’s and 1940’s jazz was at it all time highest. Although it is unclear when jazz first started some believe jazz started in New Orleans. Work it way up toward other major cities throughout in Midwest, such cities as Memphis, St. Louis, and Chicago have their own unique style of jazz. While the city of New Orleans was founded in 1719 by French men and for

The dances like the art and literature of the Harlem renaissance took popularity and influenced further future dances and work which were carried on by the dance pioneers. There are many names that come into mind when talking about the creation of social dance during the Harlem Renaissance, for example: Frankie Manning, Herbert White "Whitey", and Norma Miller. Frankie Manning is famous for his swing skills in Lindy Hop. Frankie Manning was a dancer, innovator and choreographer. He is known to be the innovator of adding the aerial moves to Lindy Hop and for most of his lifetime he was an unofficial Ambassador of Lindy Hop.

The Lindy Hop and Jitterbug- Originally devised in the late 1920s, in the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, The Lindy hop is characterized by intricate solo footwork following breaking away from the embrace of a couple. Popularly it is known as the jitterbug today. The name, though now encompassing many dance styles, formerly was thought to have originated from the fact that the whites when danced the Lindy Hop they appeared to be intoxicated.

     Jazz music is a blending of both black and white tradition and heritages. New Orleans was the center of many different ethnicities, such as French, Spanish, American, and African

Their music was known as social music or conservative music. The dances also reflected the music and were slower and flowed more smoothly. Dancers of this style would do more conservative versions of the Lindy Hop such as the jitterbug, the Varsity Drag, and the Fox Trot. Sweet bands usually stuck to the composition more closely while hot bands emphasized improvisation. Dancehalls, speakeasies, and ballrooms were new venues for Jazz music. We saw the birth of night clubs were swing dancing was very prominent. This was the beginning of jazz being associated with dance and drinking and

When it comes to jazz dance, we very often ask “what is jazz dance?” With jazz dance, it is a complex genre of dances. Each day we evolve as a human, and so does jazz dance as well. If you would look back in time, you would see jazz dance is different than to how it is now. Many struggles through history that had to face that had led to what jazz dance is today.

East Coast swing, otherwise known as the Jitterbug is another type of swing dancing. It is more social and less acrobatic. Although this style of swing is what most people learn at first, it is not really a swing-era dance. (This dance is learned as, "One and two, three and four, rock-step.") Most swing dance had an eight-count rhythm. (Counting to eight, with each beat equal to one step.) With the evolution of the 12-bar blues, however, the jitterbug lost two counts and became the dance of early rock-and-roll. It is taught as a swing dance, however, because it is much easier to grasp than the Lindy. This dance was not created until the 1950's. The version that is taught most often is done to fast big-band music and is also called East Coast Swing.

The varieties of jazz dance reflect the diversity of American culture. Jazz dance mirrors the social history of the American people, reflecting ethnic influences, historic events, and cultural changes. Jazz dance has been greatly influenced by social dance and popular music. But, like so much that is “from America”, the history of jazz dance begins somewhere else.