Jazz Tech. (Real Jazz Dance)

Jazz dance originates from social dances of African Americans and it was originally strictly connected to jazz music. Hence its name and its syncopated movements and the fact that early forms of jazz dance were improvised, just as was jazz music. However, as it was discovered by main stream show business, jazz dance incorporated other elements in additions to its African American tradition. Ballet technique became an important part of every jazz dancer’s training and jazz dance became associated with tap dance, musical theatre and big Broadway productions, starting from about the 1950s. There are many different styles of jazz dance, each with its own characteristics and influences. In general though, jazz dance has always been associated with popular culture and it has changed over time in parallel with the music and styles of popular entertainment. Presently, many different styles coexist, as well as various degrees of fusion with other genres. Some important figures in the history of jazz dance are Katherine Dunham, who reinforced the connection between jazz dance and its African origins; Bob Fosse highly influential figure in the development of dance in movies, and Matt Mattox, who developed his own technique based on ballet training. More Info below.