The rhythmic vocal sounds were woven into what we now call jazz dance. During the nineteenth century, American whites decided that they enjoyed the music and dance the slaves had created. In minstrel shows, white entertainers parodied their conception of slave life and popularized the African style of dance and music (Naden 37).
With white dancers as the star performers, it was difficult for a black dancer to gain stature as part of a dance troupe. Because of this, many black performers migrated to Europe, where they introduced the newly emerging forms of Jazz music and Jazz dance.
In Europe, these talented and innovative performers were more well received than in America. The minstrel show evolved and was eventually absorbed into the 20th century musical comedy (Naden 185).
Through the end of the 1920s, “Dixieland jazz music, with its fast ragtime beat, spread from New Orleans to Chicago and New York” (All that Jazz History: Original Dixieland Jazz Band).
The growth of jazz dance was directly influenced by this musical genre. The Charleston was introduced and
Americans were quick to adopt it. In the Charleston, dancers used body isolations for the first time in a social dance, and the hand-clapping and foot-stamping incorporated a direct link to African culture. This was also the era of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, a black tap dancer who achieved world fame through the clean and clear percussive rhythms of his feet (Franks 55).
The Term Paper on Miles Davis And The Development Of Improvisation In Jazz Music
Abstract This essay is a discussion of how the way jazz trumpeter Miles Davis changes his way of improvising, looking at two pieces from different times. The solos in the pieces were transcribed by myself and then analysed in detail. From these analyses, several conclusions on the style of improvising were drawn, and then the conclusions from the two pieces were compared. The piece New Rhumba, ...
Robinson’s style influenced the future of dance by changing the placement of the tap steps from the full foot to the ball of the foot.
During the Depression, people escaped into dance competitions in hopes of winning a cash prize (Sorell 56).
The sound of jazz music started to change due to the “symphonic jazz” of Paul Whiteman (Sorell 78).
He brought full orchestration to his music and made syncopation a part of every song he played. During the 1920s, Fred Astaire had been a vital part of Broadway, when musicals found their fame in Hollywood, he became the leading man for movie musicals (Franks, 76).
Astaire created a unique dance style that brought elegance to the dancer’s image.
He blended the flowing steps of ballet with the abruptness of jazz and was the first dancer to dance every musical note so that the rhythmic pattern of the music was mirrored in the dance steps (Sorell, 98).
Just when social dancing was at its height, World War 2 put a stop to its popularity. Lack of attendance, plus the intricate rhythmic patterns of modern jazz music, which were too complex for social dancing, led to the closing of dance halls and ballrooms (Cayou 35).
With the demise of social dance, the growth of jazz dance as a professional dance form began (Cayou 42).
During the 1940s, jazz dance was influenced by ballet and modern dance (Cayou 67).
By blending the classical technique of ballet with the natural bodily expression of modern dance, jazz developed a sophisticated artistic quality. Unlike early jazz dance, which was performed by talented entertainers without formal training, modern jazz dance was performed by professionals trained in ballet and modern dance. It was during this time that man who later became to be known as the “Father of Theatrical Jazz Dance,” Jack Cole, was busy developing his technique.
The Essay on Opening Night Dancers Ballet Dance
In watching a professional ballet one doesnt realize how much work is put into making the production come to life. Both the dancers and the choreographers put every ounce of energy and emotion into telling their story. It takes years for a ballerina to train for the labor that goes into becoming professional, however just weeks to learn a full-length ballet. Dancers can sometimes be put through ...
Cole had studied modern, ballet, and ethnic dance (Goodrich 24).
In the 1940s, there was a serious demand for groups to be trained dancers for film work (Goodrich 41).
Cole was the one who started developing these trained jazz dancers for the Hollywood movie musicals. Also, during this time Gene Kelly began making his mark as a dancer in Hollywood musicals (Goodrich,104).
His affect on jazz was his individual, energetic dance style that combined athletic, gymnastic qualities with jazz and tap.
Rock and Roll became popular with teenage audiences and thus new kinds of social dances were created to go with this type of music. During this decade, the influence of Latin American music and dance enriched jazz dance, as was seen in the landmark Broadway production of West Side Story. It was also during this time that Matt Mattox, who had been a dancer of the Jack Cole style in many Hollywood musicals, began to develop his own teaching and performing style (Sorell 87).
He was another dancer who had studied ballet, modern, and tap and then found his love of jazz in his late twenties. Mattox went on to teach dance in New York for many years before moving to Europe and developing his school and style based on what he called “ Freestyle” although many people still labeled him as a jazz dance teacher and choreographer (Sorell 109).
Two other names emerged among the ranks of professional jazz dance: Luigi and Gus Giordano. Luigi developed his technique as a result of an auto accident that left him paralyzed on the right side (Franks 181).
Doctors claimed he would never walk, let alone dance again, but he persisted through operations, physical therapy, and his own study of body development based on dance exercise, and eventually was able to not only walk again, but to dance and to teach (Franks 183).
The technique he developed is influenced by ballet and is very lyrical. His technique requires that the body be exercised to its fullest to develop the strength necessary for muscle control, yet still look beautiful. Gus Giordano’s style is classical but greatly influenced by the natural and freer body movements of modern dance (Franks 190).
His technique teaches isolation movements, emphasizing the head and torso and creating an uplifted look of elegance (Franks 194).
The Essay on Native American Music Dance Instruments Styles
Native American music has many different musical styles. Within every Native American tribe there is a variety of musical styles and instruments. In response to the research that I have conducted, there are three main musical styles that are going to be my point of focus. The Sioux Grass Dance, the Zuni Lullaby, and the Iroquois Quiver Dance are the principal methods which contribute to Native ...
Yoga is incorporated into Giordano’s technique as a means of relaxation (Franks 194).
Jazz dance today continues to both look back to the classics for inspiration and move forward to create new dance performances. In film, jazz dance, and ballet fused in the box office success Center Stage (Dils 67).
In some ways, Center Stage is reminiscent of Flashdance (Dils 89).
Dance has been given a tremendous boost in which dancers yet again realized the importance of training in wide varieties of dance styles.
The current jazz dance performance world has sought a wider variety of performance platforms, including cabaret and lounge shows, cruise ship entertainment, and touring dance companies (Dils 119).
Jazz dance, and musical comedy, has become a primary entertainment. Major television productions, such as award presentation galas, and industrials (promotional business shows) still prominently use jazz dance. The history of jazz dance has evolved in pace with the music and moods of each decade. African American culture will always be a huge influence on the development of jazz dance.
