Table of contents
-Introduction
-Roots
- Birth of techniques
- Some basics
- A Jazzballet lesson
Introduction
Since the 1920s, the term "jazz ballet" has been used to describe a constantly developing form of popular and artistic dance movement. It reacts to our popular culture, and as the culture changes so does the face of jazz ballet . Jazz ballet include improvisation and individuality.
Many kinds of dance can be seen as Jazz ballet. Social dances of the 1920s like the Charleston and Black Bottom are known as jazz dances, but so are the theatre dances of choreographer Bob Fosse. The eclectic style of Fred Astaire draws from jazz ballet, as well as many dances by modern dance choreographer Alvin Ailey. The sounds of tap dancing can be considered as jazz ballet, but so can the body movements of breakdancing. The common theme tying these seemingly disparate sorts together is rhythm, or more specifically, rhythm steeped in African influences. The variation in style results from individual approaches , based on the social context and time in which it occurs and the unique personality that each dancer brings. Although a style of jazz ballet movement may surface and soon disappear, it is rhythms - born in Africa and refined in America - that form the basis, the common element, of jazz ballet.
Roots
Jazz Ballet is a mix of African and European traditions in an American environment.
European movement contributed an elegance, and African movement gave a rhythmic propulsion. It would seem that, although European movement has given a shape to jazz ballet African rhythms are the factor that has given jazz ballet its character and appeal. To trace the history of jazz ballet, it is therefore necessary to begin in Africa.
A fundamental element of African expression was the dance ... Dance could ... be of a recreational or secular nature and was necessary in every Africans life. Africans danced in celebration of birth, puberty, marriage, and death. There were also dances to demonstrate competitive skills. Movement was an event, and an entire community from children to the elderly would dance in a communal expression of their cultural beliefs. Dances were
primarily accompanied by the beat of various types of drums, as well as string instruments, chimes, reed pipes, and other percussion instruments. This reliance on dance movement to interpret life carried over to the culture of the African-American during the time of slavery.
Birth of Jazz Dance Techniques
Because of Bob Fosse's Damn Yankees (1955) and The Pajama Game (1954), Jerome Robbins' West Side Story, and the prominence of dance acts like the June Taylor Dancers on television shows, theatrical jazz ballet began to receive widespread popularity in the 1950s.
Choreographers needed trained jazz dancers, but in many cases had to devote extra time to retraining classical dancers in jazz-inspired movement. The form was new, and since it tended to assume the individual style of each choreographer a standard training was not in existence. Chuck Kelley, an internationally known dance teacher, noted "At that time nobody was teaching jazz. When I came to New York [1953], you did tap, ballet, and acrobatics. That was it."
To satisfy the demand for theatrical jazz dance training, jazz dance classes eventually emerged. They ranged in complexity from classes that simply taught routines to those with highly structured exercises to hone the mind as well as the body. Billie Mahoney, in The Dance Catalogue, illustrates the disparity when she stated that: No set format can be attributed to the jazz class. It is highly individualized, and each teacher has his own particular way of moving ... Dance wasn't really taught - the class was more of a 'jam session' where professionals got together and danced, following their 'leader', and the non-pros who dared just hung in there".
Some Basics
Kick-ball-change
Kick with one leg, put it down and put your weight on it and change your weigth to the other leg again.
Cat Walk
Walking like a cat, crossing one leg in front of the other with a bend back.
Catch step
Like a ball-change but from flat foot to flat foot (stamp).
Chasses
Take a step with your right leg and the left follows and one time again, then begin with the left leg. Not just steps but something like hopping. While doing this put your arms to the side of the leg which is in front. Another definition of this is that one foot chases the other
Jazz drag
It's like a catwalk but with dragging one leg behind.
Jazz run
Like a jazzwalk but fast (running).
Jazz walk
Walking straight in plié with shoulders in opposition.
Moonwalk
The walk forward that goes backwards (Michael Jackson).
Pivot step
Step front, twist and step back twist (pivot).
Touch
Point your foot to the floor (step touch or touch step)
Twist
Pivot ,changing of direction
Jeter
This is a jump. Stretch both legs, one in front the other behind, point your toes and use your arms to make it as nice as possible.
A jazz ballet lesson
Every jazz ballet teacher uses his or her own personal style. I'm going to describe a jazz ballet lesson in the way I'm being taught jazz ballet. In style of my teacher.
Warming up
Usually We start by doing a combination of some basics to warm up a bit. In this combination we warm up every part of the body. After that we start doing plies and some more ballet exercises, these ballet exercises are very important. Classical ballet is the actual basis of Jazz ballet. Then we start doing some muscular exercises. Sit ups, push ups etc. Then we start doing chasses and jetes and some other combinations which go from one corner of the room to the other. Some exercises are done individually and others together. This way of moving around the room can also be used to learn difficult parts of a dance.
Practising a dance
After jeteing and chasseing across the room we usually start to practise are dance. In our jazz ballet class we produce two dances in one school year. We started this year with 'blood is on the dance floor' by Michael Jackson. We have finished this one almost and are now only dancing it over and over again to get it perfect and everything in the right order, everyone at the right place. Then in a few weeks we will be starting a new dance, which will include some solo's.
Cooling down
Then after practising the dance and the lesson is almost finished we start practising the split. This is because we are so warm at that moment it will be very effective to stretch and in the second place it is a cooling down.
The music
You might think jazz ballet should be danced on jazz music. Well perhaps this happened in the past, but today it is just danced on pop, rock and lots of other sorts of music.
Sources
Http://www.jazzart.org
http://www.visualrythm.com
http://wkuweb1.wku.edu/~bboross
http://www.offjazz.com
And lots more pages which you can find through www.altavista.com
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