Title: jazz
1Brief History of Jazz Musical Theatre Dance
By Wendy Oliver
Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Co.
2Origins of Jazz Dance
- Found in the rhythms and movements of African
dance brought to the US by slaves. - As slaves, Africans were cut off from families,
languages, and tribal traditions. - Slaveowners forbade drumming and African
dancing, yet slaves found ways to express their
cultural identity by stamping, clapping, and
making rhythmic vocal sounds. - African Americans created new, hybrid forms of
dance that blended elements from new and old
cultures eventually these dances evolved into
jazz dance.
Adzido Pan-African Dance Co.
3Characteristics of Jazz Dance Today
- Bent knees, low center of gravity
- Body isolations
- Syncopation
- Pirouettes high kicks
- Movement emanating from torso and pelvis
- Percussive movements
- Jazz shoes
41920s
- After WWI in the 1920s, jazz dance and music
became part of the American social scene. - Dixieland jazz music was popular, along with the
Charleston (first use of isolations in social
dance) - Partnered social dance to jazz music was the
popular dance of the era. - Bill Bojangles Robinson was a master tap dancer
of this era
51930s Swing Era
- The time of Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and
big bands. - Well-known dances of this time were the jitterbug
and the boogie-woogie. - Ginger Rodgers and Fred Astaire danced in many
famous movies during this time. - Jazz music and jazz dance were inseparable.
61940s WWII Era
- WWII put a stop to the popularity of social jazz
dance. - Also, jazz music was evolving into a style called
bebop, which was rhythmically complicated and
hard to dance to. - Jazz dance moved from the dance halls to the
stage, becoming prominent in Broadway shows and
movies. - Jazz dance became influenced by ballet and modern
dance as it became more professionalized. - Jazz choreographers developed specific techniques
to train dancers for shows.
Fred Astaire Ginger Rodgers
1944
7Katherine Dunham
- An African-American dancer who studied towards a
doctorate in anthropology - Researched Caribbean dance and brought vocabulary
back to US - Rekindled an interest in Black roots of jazz
dance - Had her own dance company and dance
techniquealso choreographed for Broadway - Her 1939 show Tropics Le Jazz Hot was an
immediate hit - Eventually established a school in East St. Louis
Cabin in the Sky
8Mid-century Musicals
- In 1943, Oklahoma marked the beginning of dance
as a major part of musicals choreographed by
Agnes DeMille. - Singin in the Rain was choreographed by Gene
Kelly in 1952, starring Kelly and Debbie
Reynolds. - West Side Story was choreographed in 1957 by
Jerome Robbins, also known for his work in
ballet. - Musical theatre choreographers blended jazz with
other dance forms to create dances that worked
with a specific story.
Oklahoma
Singin in the Rain
9Singin In The Rain
- Donald OConnor, Gene Kelly,and Debbie Reynolds
(only 18 at the time) starred in this 1952
classic movie about the early days of talking
pictures. - Dance (including tap, soft shoe, ballroom) played
a large role in this movie. The title number
shows Kelly kicking and splashing in the gutter
during a downpour, brandishing his umbrella and
jumping on a lampost to express his exhuberance.
10Jack Cole, Father of Jazz Dance Technique
- Developed an innovative training technique using
body isolations and movements borrowed from
Eastern culture - Choreographed for film and Broadway including the
shows Kismet (1953), Man of La Mancha (1966),
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - He also served as a movement coach to Marilyn
Monroe and other actors.
11Luigi
- In the 1960s, dancer Luigi became famous
- Developed his technique as result of car accident
which left him - paralyzed on right side. Doctors said hed never
walk again, but operations, physical therapy, and
his own dance technique brought - him back to health.
- His technique requires extreme muscle control,
and grace it is influenced by ballet. - In his youth, he danced in many movies including
Singin in the Rain, Annie Get Your Gun, and
White Christmas. - Known as a master teacher rather than a
choreographer
12Bob Fosse
- Performed in vaudeville and Broadway beginning as
a child - Became famous in the 1970s for shows such as
Sweet Charity (1967) and Chicago (1975). - Movie All That Jazz (1979) was about his life in
the fast lane - First director to win an Oscar, Tony, and Emmy in
one year (1973). - His style has been called slick, erotic, and
intense.
13Jazz Dance Music
- Most jazz choreographers today work with current
popular music, not jazz music jazz dance has
mostly separated from its original source - However, there are a few jazz choreographers who
believe that jazz dance should be done to jazz
music - Danny Buraczeski says Jazz is such rich music.
I dont use it as atmosphere or background. The
music is the subject matter.
Danny Buraczeski
14More About Music
- Billy Siegenfeld says that jazz dance must have
swing, which is a syncopated rhythm (accents on
the offbeat) - He says jazz dance must be judged for its
jazzness by the same criterion applied to jazz
musicIts the rhythmnot the melody, and not the
harmony. - As a proponent of swinging jazz danceI feel
that this yoking of rock music and jazz movement
constitutes a paradox. I am interested in
challenging this practice. - His company is the Jump Rhythm Jazz Project
Billy Siegenfeld
15Mia Michaels
- Has her own company, Reality at Work (R.A.W.),
and choreographs musicals - Has toured Korea, Europe, and US
- Unisex style which sometimes requires women to
lift men - Uses huge dynamic range, ear-high extensions, and
balletic leg beats.
16Twyla Tharp
- Choreographer/director of Movin Out, (opened in
2002) on Broadway, with music by Billy Joel
about a group of friends as they move through the
decades - Named Best Show of the Year by Time Magazine
- Tharp also has her own modern dance company, and
has choreographed for ballet companies - She has choreographed films including White
Nights with Barishnikov and Gregory Hines, and
Amadeus - She has been awarded 17 honorary doctorates
17Susan Stroman
- Directed choreographed Mel Brooks The
Producers, winner of the 2001 Best Musical Tony
Award - Created Contact (1999), a Broadway musical based
on three stories told in dance she says, Every
step I do is plot-oriented. - Has also choreographed for the Martha Graham
Dance Co. and the New York City Ballet
Contact
The Producers
18Savion Glover
- In 1996, at the age of 22, Glover created (with
George Wolfe) Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da
Funk. This show traced the history of Black
Americans including slavery, chain gangs, and
street life, but didnt have a plot or
characters. Dancing was the primary focus of the
show.
19Jazz Musical Theatre Dance Today
- Musical Theatre Dance today is still strongly
based on jazz dance, although other influences
are also apparent - There are many varieties of jazz dance today,
including African, lyrical, modern, and rock - Jazz dance has responded over the decades to the
needs and desires of those doing it, from social
dance to professional performance - Related trends like break dancing and hip hop
have also influenced jazz dance - Jazz dance remains strongly linked to the popular
music of our time
20References for Images
http//www.adzido-pan-african-dance.co.uk/images/s
epdanc.jpg www.miracosta.cc.ca.us/Dance/jazz.gif h
ttp//www.lindyhopping.com/pics/charleston.jpg www
.swingdanceuk.com/Simon.htm http//membersaol.com/
movieboy3/bin402.jpg http//members.aol.com/mgmfan
atic/stlouis1.jpg www.rnh.com/news/spring2002/grap
hics/oklahoma.gif Hometown.aol.com/starwarse/fan/i
mages/honesty-image(1).jpg www.theatredance.com/ch
oreographers/jcole.gif www.100megstree4.com/csmini
stries/moviepics/gentlemen.jpg www.encoremusic.com
/piano/1700516.htm www.streetswing.com/histmain/gi
f/1lndyhp2.gif http//www.lcqworks.com/movies/pict
ures/singing20in20the20rain.html www.pbs.org/wn
et/freetodance/behind/images/4a.gif http//www.lui
gijazz.com/images/testil.gif http//www.uttyler.ed
u/cowan/season/gifs/fosse.jpg www.imagination.com/
moonstruck/chicago.gif Web2.htrigg.smu.edu//Fall9
7/DC.09-10-97/jazz.gif
21References cont.
- www.talentcastmodels.com/images/mia_dance.jpg
- http//www.dancespirit.com/images/backissues/ang01
/ontap.jpg - http//www.arborweb.com/images/twylatharp.jpg
- www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/moving_out.jpg
- http//citypaper.net/articles/012402pcis/th.contac
t.jpg - http//www.jorgeplace.com/SusanStroman_producers2.
jpg - http//www.dance-centre.com/images/opening
- http//www.richardavedon.com/editorial2004
(Glover) - Reynolds, Nancy McCormick, Malcolm. No Fixed
Points. New Haven Yale University Press, 2003. - Stearns, Jean and Marshall. Jazz Dance. New
York Schirmer Books, 1964. - Ambrosio, Nora. Learning About Dance. Dubuque,
Iowa Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co., 2003. - Sigenfeld, Billy. If Jazz Dance, Then Jazz
Music! in Dance Teacher Now, October, 1990, pp
50-54.