The origin of jazz dance

Jazz dance is an extension of African dance. It was brought to the United States by black slaves and gradually evolved into a localized and popular dance in the United States. Black Africans were dispersed in the United States and around the world due to the slave trade that lasted for about three hundred years. They lived a bleak and miserable slave life in a new environment and a new life. Even in this painful situation, their music and dance were still not forgotten. No matter in the joy, anger, sorrow, joy of life or in worship gatherings, as long as they have the opportunity, they will sing the songs of their hometown and dance their national dances. And because of their constant innovation and invention of new dance steps, Americans gradually became interested in these rhythmic black dances. So over time it gradually turned into cheerful, urban music and dance.

The word "jazz" was originally the name of a type of music. The word "Jazz" in music terms was only used after 1900. Before that, it seemed to be called "Jass". Jazz dance evolved in the early 20th century due to the natural accompaniment of jazz, and because jazz has always been very lively in performance, "Jazz" (jazz up) has the meaning of noisy, manic, and lively. The earliest jazz dance was performed by black social dances paired with jazz music. It was popular in the rural areas of the southern United States, especially some amateur dancers in New Orleans, who would perform jazz dances at parties or clubs. By 1917, popular dancers at the time were performing according to the meaning of the lyrics. One man named W. Benton Overstreet wrote a song called "The Jazz Dance", and this song The "Jazz Dance" in the song became a permanent synonym for jazz dance, and the name jazz dance was born.

When jazz dance appeared in the form of "dance music" with improvisation and lively jazz accompaniment, those black and white dancers improved and changed the basic steps, and also inspired the latecomers. Innovative inspiration adds swing of the hips, shake of the shoulders and independent movements of other parts of the body.

Since the black people of New Orleans began to play jazz music in 1920, many mixed rock dances have become popular, such as the Charleston dance and the Western dance. (Shimmy), Lindy (Lindy), etc. were all popular for a while. Later, due to the birth of Boogie-Woogie (Boogie-Woogie) and Jitterbug (Jitterbug), there was a big change in the form of dance. The dance that used to be an embrace has changed into a dance where dancers and partners dance separately.

From the second half of the 1930s to the 1940s, jazz dance evolved into three types of expressions: the first is modern jazz dance with a strong flavor of classical ballet, and the second is modern jazz dance influenced by classical ballet. Jazz dance influenced by black and Latin dance, and the last one is a hybrid jazz dance mixed with humorous music and tap. Although jazz dance was so popular at the time, it began to decline in the late 1940s because new jazz music replaced the big jazz bands of the past. Its music rhythm was too complex and difficult to match the dance steps. Coupled with the invention of the phonograph and the heavy taxes levied by the government (the United States) on dance clubs, many once-famous dance clubs closed down one after another.

Although the old-fashioned type of jazz dance is declining, it also represents a kind of ceremony that connects the past with the future. Because the United States is a melting pot of nations, the new jazz dance also has a very high degree of fusion; it combines the jazz dance steps of the older generation with the new dance steps that were popular in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Together with the rise of mass media, the rise of jazz dance has been driven.

Today, the jazz dance we see retains the melody of syncopated music (*see note) in the past, the throwing of limbs or the characteristics of independent operation, but it is not only performed with jazz music , it can also be performed with pop music, blues music, rock music or disco music. Today's jazz dance is very inclusive and highly malleable, and can absorb the characteristics of the most popular music and dance at any time. Because of this, jazz dance is extremely entertaining and is welcomed and accepted by the public.

It means to temporarily move the stress position in the regular measure to other beats. When the rhythm changes from a normal strong beat to a weak beat, rest, or no beat, the rhythm is syncopated, and this method of changing the beat is called "syncopation." When the downbeat falls on unexpected syncopated rhythms, the action becomes very exciting and exciting; it is the transformation of accents and is the basis of jazz.

Characteristics of jazz dance

The essence of jazz dance movements is a free and simple expression, which directly expresses inner feelings through the bumps, shakes and twists of the body. Just like when we hear the music we like, we can naturally express our emotions from the heart, and our bodies can’t help but move with the rhythm of the music, such as snapping our fingers, moving our heads and stamping our feet, sometimes with excitement and intensity, and sometimes slowly and gently blending into the music. among.

Jazz dance is a fast and dynamic rhythmic dance. It is an extroverted dance, unlike the introverted dance shown in classical ballet or modern dance. Jazz dance is mainly a performance of movement and melody. The main purpose is to entertain others and yourself. It can bring you and others a good time. This is why its performance is not pretentious at all. The dance exudes The jovial atmosphere and that happy spirit are contagious. Although it is said that you must have very good skills to become a successful jazz dancer, almost everyone can master its basic dance steps, and the performance space of jazz dance is very wide. Personal color and unique style are the key to dancing. The most striking place.

Jazz dance is mainly a dance that pursues happiness, liveliness and vitality. Its characteristic is that it can be danced freely. It does not have to be limited to one form and adhere to inherent postures like traditional classical ballet. However, it is different from disco dance, which is a completely self-enjoyed dance. It is in freedom. There is still a kind of present law. For example, it will express emotions with jazz music, and also use or imitate other dance techniques; for example, in footwork and movements, the action positions and principles of ballet, the sensitivity of tap dance techniques, the contraction and relaxation of the modern dance body, and the Latin dance Dance steps and hip swings, as well as the moving position of the upper body in Eastern dance, etc.

The elements and characteristics of jazz dance movements can be summarized as follows:

Use bent knees to bring the center of gravity of the body closer to the ground. Keep the center of gravity low so that the lower limbs are flexible, while the joints of the upper body can remain relaxed, and the required movements can be quickly made according to the rhythm, so that a variety of changes in movements can be obtained.

Quickly moving the center of gravity, especially horizontal movements, is the epitome of jazz dance skills.

Let each body part such as the head, shoulders, waist, hips, and trunk make independent movements.

Emphasis on angular and linear movements.

Use rhythmic and complex segmentation movements to show the rhythmic segmentation in movements. For example, in an action, we place the heavy beat on the head or hands, and the movements of the hands and head are separated from the own movements during the action, and do not move at the same time as the own movements. In other words, an action can be completed in one beat, but now we divide it into four beats, and the action is also divided into four parts for performance.

Polyrhythm quickly uses the body to express two or three rhythms at the same time.

Different types of jazz dance

There are many types of jazz dance, especially in the American dance circle. The mainstream can be divided into: Tap Dance, Theatrical Jazz Dance, Modern Jazz Dance, and Street Jazz Dance.

Tap dance can be said to be the ancestor of jazz dance. Tap dance appeared as early as the mid-1800s, and it inherited the complex and segmented rhythm characteristics of African dance. During the golden period of jazz dance from the 1920s to the 1940s, jazz dance was basically equivalent to tap dance, and tap dance was jazz dance. Professional tap dancers often performed at this time, along with large jazz ensembles. Later, due to changes in trends and the development of jazz dance genre branches, tap dance was gradually regarded as a dance other than jazz dance.

Theatrical Jazz Dance

Tall hats and canes were commonly used props in stage jazz dance in the past, but stage jazz dance is not limited to this. Stage jazz dance has a showy style, with a swinging quality to the accompaniment of syncopated jazz music. Stage jazz dance follows the evolution of Broadway musicals. They evolved from the dazzling light-hearted entertainment of the 1920s to the carefully managed and tightly structured musicals and dance dramas of the 1940s and 1950s. In the 1920s and 1930s, jazz dance and tap dance were often just vignettes outside the plot of the opera.

Many of the "dance directors" in the 1920s knew nothing about dance. They only knew how to select sweet-faced women as performers; but by the mid-1930s, "choreographers" ("choreographers") began to clamp down on these "choreographers". George Balanchine was the first person to use the title "choreographer" on Broadway; he was also the founder and choreographer of the New York City Ballet. Ballet was the first artistic dance to have an important impact on Broadway, and its success encouraged later attempts to seriously utilize elements of jazz dance for choreography. Blanche's classics include 1936's "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" with tap dancer Herbie Harper.

Since the mid-1930s, Broadway has no longer been as simple as a casual entertainment program of jazz dance, tap dance and chorus line, but has required the use of formally trained dance performances. Skill training dancer.

The prosperity of this new stage-style jazz dance can be attributed to three outstanding choreographers: Katherine Dunham, Jerome Robbins and Jack Cole. "The Father of American Jazz Dance"). Catherine Duanham majored in Anthropology in college and received a scholarship to study West Indian and African folk dances. She is good at using unique costumes, lighting and choreography structures to bring the colors of primitive tribal dance to the audience. Her dance classes often incorporate original dance movements into typical basic dance training exercises. Duan Xian even worked with George Blanche to choreograph the musical "Cabin in the Sky". Jugger was an important figure in the development of stage-style jazz dance; in 1942, he mixed movements of East Indian dance and American Harlem social dance, and presented them to the audience for the first time with the swing rhythm of jazz. Jugger has numerous choreographic credits on Broadway and in films, such as "Magdalena," "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum," "Cover Girl," "The Merry Widow," "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," "There's No Business Like Show Business," "Les Girls" and more. Galgin trained several dance and film stars, such as Mitzi Gaynor, Rita Hayworth, Gwen Verdon, etc.; and also trained actress Marilyn Monroe. ) and Jane Russell designed the dance steps. Even dance luminaries Gene Kelly and Matt Mattox danced Gower's work.

Michael Bennett's 1975 "A Chorus Line" was so popular that it won the Pulitzer Prize and became one of Broadway's longest-lasting musicals. "A Chorus Line" celebrates alternative Broadway dancers and dance styles - hard-hitting jazz, tap, dazzling ballet and showmanship and technique. Other Broadway musicals such as Bob Fosse's "Cabaret" in 1972, "Chicago" in 1975 and "Dancin'" in 1978 also promoted jazz The popularity of dance. Excellent musicals of the 1980s such as "Cats", "Miss Saigon" and "Song and Dance" also gave Broadway jazz dance some opportunities to express itself. , but because these repertoires all have songs as the main elements, stage jazz dance has not seen any significant breakthroughs since then.

Modern Jazz

The shadows and movement qualities of common ballet and modern dance movements in modern jazz dance. In addition to the typical jazz-style angular movements and crisp limb and torso movements, smooth and continuous movements are also used to emphasize slender lines and curves. Pressed wrists, stylish posture and posture are equally important in stage jazz dance and modern jazz dance. There are several obvious differences between modern jazz dance and street jazz dance.

Modern Jazz Dance

Street Jazz Dance

The beat of the movement is downward and synchronized with the beat of the music.

The rebeat of the action is upward, and the kneeling preparation (plié) is done half a beat before the rebeat of the music.

The independent movements of the body (trunk, upper limbs, etc.) are relative to the movements of the feet (for example: one in front of the other).

The independent movements of the body (trunk, upper limbs, etc.) are the same as the movements of the feet (for example: moving forward at the same time).

The movements are clear and precise ("in place") and emphasized by reshoots.

Movements are freer and slightly less exaggerated.

The movement of the head requires clear and neat direction changes.

Head movement tends toward a rocking or pendulum rhythm.

The swing of the pelvis has a clear direction goal.

The pelvis swings in a released posture.

Modern jazz dancers often have a ballet training background, which enables them to freely combine one-foot turns, bent-leg balance, etc. with jazz walking and sliding steps. Dancers can highly coordinate the precise swings and twists of their heads, shoulders, torso and hips, making this jazz style very valuable to watch.

Street Jazz Dance

What we now generally call street jazz dance actually mainly includes break dance and Hip Hop.

As early as the 1970s, a novel action called "popping & locking" appeared. This mainly includes protruding and locking movements of the head, shoulders, arms, hips and other parts quickly and forcefully.

There was a dance group called "The Lockers" in Los Angeles, USA, and they were the exponents of this dance. They performed this new dance style on TV shows, dressed in exaggerated costumes that looked like clowns. Although the dance group was only popular for a short time, the dance style evolved into breakdancing in the late 1970s and hip hop in the 1990s.

Break dance is a free and open dance mode. The main movements include: electric boogie - as if there is an electric current passing through the body), partial retraction (poppin' - sudden and Violently moving part of the body, a bit like a muscle spasm) and breakin' - a ground rotation that looks like a gymnastics movement, sometimes supported by hands, sometimes with arms, back, knees, or even head as a fulcrum ). This dance originated from the black ghettos of New York in the 1970s; it was actually a channel for street teenagers to challenge each other and communicate. Whoever does the hardest spin or jumps the best will be recognized by their peers. The rise of electronic music and the hobby of disc jockeys playing with the technique of "rubbing vinyl discs" are also closely related to the rise of break dancing. The dancers perform a variety of freeze-framed and unexpected special movements as the disc jockey controls the sudden changes in the music.

By the late 1980s, break dancing had begun to be left out, and in the 1990s, it was replaced by Hip Hop, a dance that also reflected youth street culture. The rise of almost every kind of dance is inseparable from the accompanying music, and Hip Hop is no exception. In addition to its unique music (Rap - rap music), it also has unique clothing (very wide pants, exaggerated big T-shirts, and baseball caps worn upside down), and a unique vocabulary. The Hip Hop wave is also related to the craze of professional basketball games in the United States, because many Rap singers also love to wear NBA jerseys, so even dancers have followed this trend of dressing up. Since jazz dance is a type of dance that is constantly catching up with trends, the influence of current popular culture on jazz dance is obvious.

The movement roots of street jazz dance are also African movement styles, but it does not use a typical jazz swing beat. In addition, the movements of street jazz dance itself are not choreographed for stage performance, so the expression of typical jazz dance will abandon the tradition of focusing on technique and beauty, but instead focus on the interpretation of music and lyrics. In comparison, the movements of street jazz dance are not that complicated in terms of musical rhythm.

From movies to music videos

Jerome Robbins used Mambo and Lindy in 1957's "West Side Story" The hybrid performance of this kind of dance pushed the jazz dance in the movie to a peak. John Travolta shot to fame with 1977's "Saturday Night Fever," which also sparked a disco craze. The 1978 musical "Grease" reflected the dance craze of the 1950s ("Grease 2" and "Grease Sequel" published in the 1980s were very similar to "Grease", but were far less well-known. Episode 1). In 1979, the opening jazz dance number of "All That Jazz" choreographed and directed by Bob Fosse was outstanding; while in 1980, "I Want to Fly High" ("Fame") left a deep impression on the audience and made the public aware of street dance. Learn more about the career of a dancer (later the United States produced a TV series called "Fame L.A."). In addition, break dancing shined in "Flashdance" (1983) and "Breakin'" (1984), in which the dancers froze their movements and performed difficult dances. The gymnastics movements are displayed like tricks, and from time to time they perform puppet-like dances and challenge the onlookers with their dance skills. "Footloose," 1984, is another set of films produced in the 1980s, depicting rebellious youth and young people venting their anger through dance. A dance exercise performed by top ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov and famous black tap dancer Gregory Hines in "White Nights", Breathtaking. Grigory Hans once again showed off his all-around skills in the 1989 film "Tap" and is a model for modern tap dancers. Overall, the 1980s can be said to be a golden period for dance films.

When the MTV Channel was launched in 1981, commercial jazz dance immediately moved in a new direction. At first, this TV station was only to promote new singers and songs, but it became unexpectedly popular and instantly became the darling of the younger generation. It was even more crazy in North America. As the use value of music videos increased, dance gradually became an important element in the videos.

Many black carol groups naturally use break dance to set off their videos. Even older mainstream singers such as Elton John and Pat Benetar also use different types of jazz dance to embellish their videos. bring. In just ten years, music videos have completely changed the public image of jazz dance. In the past, Broadway and old TV musicals were the models of jazz dance and the goal for young dancers, but now street jazz dance has become a symbol of trendy touch. The king of early music videos was Michael Jackson - "The King of Pop", who blended the tough street style with the charm of old Broadway dance. Other great dancers in music videos include Paula Abdul, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, PINK, etc. In recent years, boy and girl music groups have become popular again, and most of them use different types of jazz dance to accompany their singing.

Although the music video has successfully brought street dance and certain jazz dances to many audiences, since its main goal is to promote the song and the singer, there is not much room for the choreographer to play. Because of his lack of creativity, he has not made much contribution to the artistic aspect of jazz dance.

In the past two years, several films about dance have been released, including: "Center Stage," 2000, which mainly describes the "tap sparks" of a group of men who are passionate about tap dancing. ("Bootmen," 2000), "Dancer," 2000), "Billy Elliot," 2000), "Save The Last Dance" (2001) and "Bojangles" ( 2001). Although "Center Stage" mainly describes the selection of ballet companies and the struggles of dancers, the film depicts a scene where the hero and heroine take jazz dance classes in a New York dance studio. The scene and atmosphere are very desirable for people who love jazz dance.

The physical fitness requirements of jazz dance

Jazz dance, like modern dance and ballet, is a very severe physical test, which requires warm-up preparation before practice. become extremely important. Warming up can also benefit jazz dancers both mentally and physically. From a physiological standpoint, the effects of warm-up exercises include: increasing the speed and strength of muscle contraction, improving muscle coordination, and preventing or reducing injuries to muscles, tendons and ligaments; especially for jazz dancers, the back and chest , abdomen and other parts are also used quite frequently, so you should pay more attention when doing warm-up exercises. Psychologically, it can prepare learners to start exercising and cultivate their emotions, allowing students to be more focused and feel motivated to learn.

The warm-up movements of jazz dance are very rhythmic and usually last 20-30 minutes. Since jazz dance classes involve tiptoes, fast kicks, spins, jumps, sustained or rapid abdominal contractions, etc., ballet squats (plié) and stand ups (relevés) are often added to warm-up exercises to help. It prepares the muscles of the feet and legs. In addition, it requires independent and joint movements of the upper body limbs and trunk to achieve the effect of whole body warmth and muscle flexibility.

As important as warm-up exercise is cool-down exercise. At the end of the jazz dance class, you should do another stretch of the main joints and muscles so that the tired muscles can be relieved more naturally and quickly. This will help reduce muscle soreness and fatigue the next day of the class.

If analyzed from the perspective of physical fitness factors, relevant considerations for jazz dance include:

Cardiorespiratory endurance – Generally, a combination of jazz dance movements does not last very long, but The rest time between combinations is often very short, so if the learner has good cardiorespiratory endurance, he or she can generally maintain good dance skills after repeated combinations of movements and avoid premature fatigue.

Muscle strength and muscular endurance – Jazz dance involves many fast and instantaneous force movements, so basic muscle strength is necessary. In addition, because when learning dance, you often need to practice the same movement multiple times, the requirements for muscle endurance are relatively high. In particular, the endurance of the lower limb muscles must be trained well, otherwise it will easily cause injuries to the knee, ankle, hip joints and nearby muscles. Jazz dancers also use other auxiliary exercise methods (such as water fitness, yoga training, etc.) to enhance muscle endurance.

Softness – No matter what kind of dance, if you want to dance beautifully, the flexibility of your body must be good, otherwise you will not be able to show the beauty of your lines, and jazz dance is no exception. When performing warm-up stretching exercises, you must be careful. It is not suitable to use elastic vibration to stretch before the body muscles are completely warmed. Otherwise, it is easy to backfire and strain the muscles. Static stretching is safer, but requires more patience. The range of softness exercises should not reach the point of pain. It is enough for the muscles to feel tight. The duration of the movements (angles) can range from 10 seconds to 30-40 seconds. The longer the time, the more harmful it will be to the muscles and joints. The load on nearby connecting tissues is also higher.

Body composition – Most great jazz dancers have strong muscles, but generally have less body fat. This makes their bodies show obvious muscle stripes, making their movements more powerful and powerful when dancing. The lower fat mass also prevents dancers from carrying unnecessary weight, making dance movements more graceful and light. Although learning jazz dance can also be a way to lose weight, beginners who are overweight should first lose weight through other methods, otherwise it will pose a certain risk to the health of muscles and joints.

Coordination – Coordination is very important in jazz dance. In addition to the coordination of hands and feet, there is also the coordination of movements of the head, trunk and limbs. In addition, in jazz dance, different parts of the body will dance at different rhythms at the same time, which is really a big test for the dancer's coordination ability. When you first learn, it is appropriate to practice the movements of different parts of the body separately, and then continue to coordinate them into the required movements. That way you will have a higher sense of success.

Dexterity – Jazz dance often uses movements in different directions and levels to increase excitement and entertainment. Therefore, dancers must be dexterous and skillful in their movements, and their angles must be accurate and quick when turning.

Balance – The ability of dynamic balance is often more widely used in jazz dance than static balance. This means that dancers must be clear about the shift of the center of gravity of the dance steps, and they must skillfully use their eyes. To help position yourself and help you balance when turning.