Jazz
Brittany James
Jazz dance is a classification shared by a broad range of dance styles. Before the 1950s, jazz dance referred to dance styles that originated from African American vernacular dance. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance — modern jazz dance — emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance. Every individual style of jazz dance has roots traceable to one of these two distinct origins. Jazz was a big hit in the early 50's and it is still a well loved style of dance all over the world. Moves Used In Jazz Dance include Jazz Hands, Kicks, Leaps, Sideways Shuffling, Rolled Shoulders, and Turned Knees.
Many jazz traditions were imported from Africa, where every tribe had a set of dances of its own, characterized by many rhythms going on at the same time. Different parts of the body move to the various rhythms – arms to one rhythm, the torso to another. Typically these dances were done solo, yet in a group for various ceremonies. In America, they became competitive for the purpose of entertainment.
During the past 5 years, jazz dance has become the basis of music videos. The combination of rap, singing and jazz dance have spawned “hip-hop.”