Jazz

Jazz dance is a lively, expressive, and rhythmic style of dance that combines technique, style, and improvisation. It’s often described as the heart of musical theatre dance because of its energy, theatricality, and storytelling power.

Here’s a breakdown of what jazz dance involves:

💃 Origins

• Jazz dance grew out of African and African American dance traditions, blending with European influences in the early 20th century.

• It was heavily shaped by jazz music, which emphasizes rhythm, syncopation, and improvisation.

• Over time, it evolved through Broadway, Hollywood musicals, and popular culture.

🎵 Characteristics

• Sharp, clean movements mixed with fluid transitions.

• Strong use of rhythm, isolations (moving one part of the body at a time), and dynamic contrast.

• Often theatrical and expressive, designed to communicate mood or tell a story.

• Can range from high-energy commercial jazz (seen in music videos) to Broadway jazz (stylized and character-driven).

🩰 Technique

Jazz dance borrows elements from ballet for control and line, but it’s freer and more grounded.
Typical elements include:

• Kicks, leaps, and turns

• Jazz walks and stylized runs

• Body isolations (shoulders, hips, ribs, head)

• Syncopated rhythms—moving off the beat or between beats

• Improvisation, reflecting the influence of jazz music itself

🌟 Famous Jazz Dance Styles & Choreographers

• Bob Fosse – Known for his sultry, angular style (e.g., Chicago, Cabaret).

• Jack Cole – Considered the father of theatrical jazz dance.

• Luigi – Developed a flowing, lyrical jazz technique after recovering from paralysis.

• Gus Giordano and Matt Mattox – Pioneers of jazz technique for stage and studio training.

🎭 In Musical Theatre

Jazz dance is a cornerstone of musical theatre choreography. You’ll see it in shows like:

• West Side Story (Jerome Robbins’ athletic style)

• Chicago and Sweet Charity (Fosse’s stylized movement)

• A Chorus Line, Hairspray, and The Prom (modern Broadway jazz)