1. & Musical Theatre Dance
Brief History of Jazz
& Musical Theatre Dance
By Wendy Oliver
Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Co.

2. Origins 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.

3. Characteristics 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

4. 1920’s
After WWI in the 1920’s, 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

5. 1930’s: 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.

6. 1940’s: 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

7. Katherine 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 technique;also 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

8. Interesting, right?
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