2005! A New Year, a time for new ideas, plans, and growth. This is traditionally when resolutions are made and goals set. It is also when we look to the spring and make sure we are ready for what is to come. (That is if you survived all those “Nutcrackers.”) For the jazz dancer, teacher and choreographer, I see it as a time to step into the pulse of today-- to see what important parts of the past have been neglected, what the current trends are, and what new things can be created.

The history of jazz dance is very important for many reasons; one being that it shows the cultural changes of our society through different times. I find it interesting to learn how world issues affect the development of the Arts. For example, social dancing suffered a decline in popularity during the 1940’s due to the lack of male partners who were off fighting in World War II. Movies became a popular form of entertainment and there are many films from this time that show jazz dance. (If you caught last month’s article you will recall that this is also the time when Jack Cole established jazz technique.)


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Looking at history also helps in learning “classic” jazz, which is important for developing good jazz technique. It is important to know the classic and contemporary styles in all the dance forms of ballet, modern and jazz to be a complete dancer. What I consider to be “classic” jazz are the styles of Jack Cole and his student Matt Mattox, of Gus Giordano, and Luigi. Their styles were influenced by ballet and modern dance because of their dance training in these forms. Adding their own personal touch and expression, these masters created jazz technique that focused on line, rhythmic isolations, and complex coordination of body parts.

Space doesn’t allow me to include all that could be said about each of these individuals. I encourage you to seek out information on the web, on videos, or in books. (Please see Suggestions for further insight.) If you are a teacher, incorporating different “classic” styles into your class stretches students to pick up a style that is not familiar to them, an important element needed for dancing in the professional world. Choreographers, I hope you are inspired by something you might find that sparks the creation of something new. Combining the old with the new has always been a great way to develop an art form. If you are a student, I encourage you to research jazz dance history. Find something that sparks your interest and look to see what interesting facts you can discover. Jazz history is full of many great stories about dancers and the way they rose to stardom. A fun thing to do (on one of those stuck-at-home winter days) is to view classic movie musicals. One that I enjoy is “Kiss Me Kate,” which features Bob Fosse as a dancer before he became a well-known choreographer.

I love jazz dance history because it gives me a sense of pride in where jazz is now. For me knowing the past allows me to appreciate the current trends in jazz dance. (An interesting question to ask yourself is how do current wars impact our society and its arts?) And as happened in the 40’s, I see contemporary jazz dance pulling in aspects of ballet, modern, and the “classic” jazz style to create great new looks. I see this happening more so in concert companies but believe the effect will be seen in all aspects of jazz, from music videos to cheer teams. A great example of this blending can be seen in the Broadway musical “Movin’ Out” (not a typical musical, but more an exciting concert dance story). In this show, Twyla Tharp, considered by many a modern choreographer, shows her jazzy side as she creates an American story to the music of Billy Joel, all elements at the heart of jazz dance. Go see it!! Nothing beats a live performance, where the energy and feeling of the dancers are just as incredible as the movement they perform. To really see current jazz dance by top jazz companies I suggest a trip to Chicago this summer for the 14th annual Jazz Dance World Congress. Besides seeing cutting edge jazz dance in the evening performances, current and “classic” styles can be learned during the daytime workshops and classes.

Other ways of keeping up with the current pulse of jazz dance is to check out the latest music videos. It also doesn’t hurt to have a night out to see people dancing and allowing yourself to discover your own ever-changing personal style. Also enlightening are the students that you teach, who always seem to know current trends and will amaze you with their personal style when given a chance at improvisation.

So after viewing the past and seeing what’s current how do we translate that to the future? A good start is to ask yourself questions and then make some goals you hope to achieve. Some questions you might ask are: “What do I find exciting and boring about choreography that is seen today? Is there something that I could see less of or something that would be great to see more of? What can cause improvement in my own dancing, teaching, or choreography?” The first question I think of is, “How can we further develop jazz dance?” My goal is something FRESH. Add yours to that and Jive in 2005. CHEERS to all our New Year’s goals!

Suggestions for further insight:

Books:
Anthology of American Jazz Dance, Gus Giordano, Orion Publishing
House, IL (1978).
Dancing, Gerald Jonas Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, NY (1992).
Jump Into Jazz Dance (second edition) Minda Goodman Kraines &
Ester Kan, Mayfield Publishing Company, CA (1990).
Luigi’s Jazz Warm Up: An Introduction the Jazz Style and Technique Luigi, Princeton Book Company Publishers, NJ (1997)
The Matt Mattox Book of Jazz Dance, Elisabeth Frich, Sterling Publishing Co. NY (1983)

Movies:
“42nd Street“ (A Busby Berkeley film); “Kismet” (Choreographed by Jack Cole); “Seven Brides For Seven Brothers” (Matt Mattox); “Stormy Weather” (Katherine Dunham); “Swing Time” (Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers)

Web sites:
www.jazzdanceworldcongress.org,
www.StreetSwing.com,
www.danceart.com/gotjazz,
www.barbara-brune.de/teacher/mattox.htm,
www.offjazz.com •

By: Joel Longenecker