Jazz Dance Moves – Characteristics of Jazz Dance & Famous Performances

Key features of jazz dance

The originating footprint of the Jazz dance takes us back to the 18th and the 19th century, the age of renewed African-American vernacular dance. In the 1910s, vaudeville star icon Joe Frisco was the most popular jazz dancer, his loose-limbed style dance was simply exemplary. What’s more, juggling his derby, hat and cigar were Frisco’s unmatched dance acts. Jack Cole is known as the theatrical jazz dance. Until the 1950s, jazz dance was termed as the top dance, and during that era, Jazz was the primary form of dance. Over the years, modifications have been made when it comes to jazz dance, the latest form include the Swing dancing, Boogie Woogie, Black Bottom, and Charleston.

After the 1950s, Katherine Dunham was the pioneering jazz performer respected across the globe. She took the inspiration of her dance moves from the Caribbean traditional dance and earned praises around the globe. Today, the Jazz dance is popular worldwide in various forms & styles. This dance thrives in schools and still is an essential segment of the musical theater choreography. The Jazz dance, “So You Think You Can Dance” was a big hit show.

The Technique of Jazz Dancing

The technique is the most crucial aspect of any dance, and the same goes with Jazz. The fundamental characteristics of the jazz dance include the focus of the performer on the stylistic attributes of the dance. As a matter of truth, the technique is the key, it involves the right mingle of feet and the body to have that perfect jumps and turns every time. Executing the best moves solely depends upon the correct posture, so if you are a newbie, then you are required to focus on this. Good background in the ballet technique is critical for the various dance moves of the Jazz, further leads to sharp and strong movements. Another crucial aspect for jazz dancing is the central control; the center of the performer’s body is the focal point which makes all the body moves. Thus, it is paramount importance to maintain a great body to have the right Jazz Dance moves those can set the stage on fire. So, the whole idea is to concentrate on the body balance to establish powerful movements.

Before you start the Jazz moves straightaway from the scratch, it is important to do a little bit of stretching. This is done to make the legs warmed up and prevent injuries to joints & muscles. Some of the popular jazz dance techniques when it comes to Jazz warm-up include elongating the legs muscles for five to ten minutes. Further, you can seek advice from your trainer on how to strengthen your core.

Jazz Dance Definition

What is jazz dance? The term “Jazz Dance” is a popular theoretical and music dance which came to America in the 20th century. This is a rhythmic dance which is characterized by syncopation, improvisation and forceful rhythm. The various instruments associated with the Jazz dance include the piano, brass, and woodwind to achieve seamless performance every time. The diverse styles of the Jazz are Dixieland, swing, bebop, and free jazz.

Stylistic features of jazz dance

Key features of jazz dance styles include using feet, arm, and hand positions, isolations (head, shoulder, hips), timing, shape, and movements including body rolls, jazz walks, swings, and kicks.

Famous Jazz Dance Personalities

Here is the list of 3 of the best jazz dancers in the world:

Lester Horton

Born in the United States of America, the Lester Horton was a renewed jazz dancer, with top performances worldwide. During her journey has a jazz dancer, she has understood the importance of the whole body approach to have awe striking jazz moves. Her famous performances include the ‘Cry’ and ‘Revelations.’

Katherine Dunham

Born in the Chicago state of the US, Katherine Dunham was a well-known jazz artist. Her journey as an artist has seen several milestones, as he founded the first black modern jazz dance company in the US. She has always put great emphasis on their techniques to get the right moves.

Jack Cole

Another star of jazz dance from the United States, Jack Cole is generally termed as the original creator of the jazz dance. His style of jazz was unique and something which everyone loved.

Top 3 Jazz Dance Performances

Here, we take a look at the top three jazz dance performances of all time along with the video to pay a holy visit to their moves. Browsing through these will help you discover the benefits of dance and creative movement.

Jazz dance styles & moves

types of jazz dances

• Cakewalk
• Charleston
• Broadway Jazz
• Afro-Jazz
• Jazz-Pop
• Latino-Jazz

How to jazz dance?

What are some jazz dance moves? Watch and learn some of the key characteristics of jazz dance below:

We picked 2 videos to get you started with what is jazz dance and how to learn jazz dance moves:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Lc-XZaLZWE  with @MissAuti on Youtube, Basic Jazz Moves For Beginners
• New video 2020:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxdUAc_1NGs Online Jazz Dance Class! Learn at Home! by Carissa Campbell

Jazz Dance Competitions

Australia: https://www.australiandancecup.com/ – Australian Dance Cup

US: https://dancekar.com/convention – Dance Convention Tour

UK: https://www.luv2dancecompetition.com/london – Luv 2 Dance

France: https://www.jazzroots.fr/ – Jazz Roots