Jazz Dance as It Relates to Broadway - Term Paper Example

Jazz Dance as it relates to Broadway: A modern dance hugely influenced by the sounds, styles, rhythms, and techniques of jazz music is called jazz dance. Jazz dancers are typically skilled on making a great show of individual skills while working with other dancers also to neutralize the effect of improvisation and showcasing the desired performance and overall look. This is why though jazz dance is tried to be kept as highly individual as jazz music itself, the jazz dancers try to accomplish the task of working together also. History of jazz dance identifies that this particular kind dates back to late 1800s and its roots are found in the African American community resident in US back in 1800s. It spread across the world also through Americans like “jazz erupted on to the French scene with the arrival of American soldiers” (Jordan, 2001) near the end of World War II. With time this dance form seeped heavily into Broadway which is basically about fusing ballet, jazz, and modern dance patterns with theatre and singing. The Broadway theatre highly fascinated the public because dance got to be presented as the central component of a play. In his research on history of jazz dance in US, it is claimed by Boross (2010) that though dance had begun to be influenced by jazz music much earlier in the African American community, this unconventional dance movement began to create waves in New York during the early 1950s. The research also identifies that there existed many worth mentioning pioneers who laid the foundation of jazz dance and who should be appreciated for developing theatrical jazz dance techniques. Among them, Peter Gennaro, Jon Gregory, and Katherine Dunham are noted as the primary teachers to be remembered and their contrasting dance techniques are also discussed in the research. While Gennaro preferred to rely on ballet based leg exercises using a light, swift, and loose yet flexible style with a warm-up and plies, Gregory did not have much of a dance background but began to use unique body movements like across the floor movements until progressing to using a fusion of “spectacular leaps and falls that burst out of unorthodox spins” (Mahoney, cited in Boross, 2010). Dunham, in contrast, used a totally different set of techniques like the famous step movements across the floor coupled with isolated movements of the shoulder and hips which left the audience totally enthralled and amazed. But, the use of jazz dance in Broadway theatres became formalized in 1955 in New York by Mattox and Luigi (Boross, 2010). The theatrical jazz dance techniques form the hallmark of Broadway. It is also emphasized by McRae (2005-12) that the whole concept of jazz dance and relating it to Broadway originated in black social dances specifically inspired by African animal dances. Jazz dance also changes as the culture changes which is why it is capable of taking up a new skin once the times change. In her research, Jack Cole is identified as one of the mainstream Broadway choreographers in 1930s who is known for giving jazz dance a new skin by bringing together ethnic and modern kinds with then popular jazz dances in the theatres and in this way started a new kind of jazz inspired movement in US. Though the movement introduced by Cole influenced many choreographers on Broadway, but its actual effects began to get significant in the 60’s “with many avenues for performance in Broadway shows” (McRae, 2005-12). It remains a reality that jazz dance has been repeatedly used in the past by many teachers and choreographers to create a phenomenal influence and breakthrough on Broadway due to which the popularity of theatrical jazz dance sustained over changing times. It is claimed by Victoria and Albert Museum (2012) that the jazz dance of Broadway musicals also contributed to the emergence of black dance. The 18th century black dances portrayed the African traditions and rhythms like the jazz dance portrayed the African American traditions. A massive success in jazz dance on Broadway was brought by the introduction of Breakdancing in the 80’s and later Hip Hop in the 90’s. “Both jazz dance and hip hop are derived from the same base – African style but hip hop does not utilize a swing beat as does jazz making it known as a cousin to jazz dance” (McRae, 2005-12). One after another transformation of jazz dancing was produced by the Broadway choreographers in different times like moving from Breakdancing to Hip Hop so it is rightly suggested that jazz dance has continuously evolved since its beginning from the Charleston to the hip hop dance techniques which are popular presently and this shows how enduring the nature of jazz dance happens to be. Jazz dance reflects the pulse of society and “it has undergone myriad changes throughout its short existence, evolving a variety of techniques to express many moods in a wide range of styles” (Boross, 1999). Amidst evolving, Broadway theatre also kept growing by a variety of new styles which have been introduced by different jazz dance innovators to reflect and express different kinds of feelings. It is due to this evolving nature and taking on a new skin one after another that jazz managed to influence dance so profoundly and even made a reputation in theatres in less than a century. People rapidly became aware of jazz dance and appreciated its incorporation in Broadway dance due to which it spread throughout the world “as a symptom of modern hybrid culture” (Jordan, 2001). Summing up, this much becomes clear from the above discussion that jazz originated in America in the African American community and reached to other parts of the world also through Americans. Through constant efforts of myriad jazz artists, jazz dance had already become a well recognized dance form by the time First World War begun. Jazz dance relates to Broadway in a significantly riveting manner because the influence produced by it on Broadway choreography is such that unheard of, unusual, and non-typical body movements are allowed. It also served as a symptom of modernity and proved to be the core essence of Broadway dance also in many ways. This is because many Broadway dance productions focus more on jazz than on other components like ballet or modern dance. References: Boross, B. (1999). JAZZ PIONEERS: All Thats Jazz. DANCE MAG, 73(8). Boross, B. (2010). PIONEERS OF JAZZ DANCE TECHNIQUES: Jazz Dance History in America. Retrieved from http://www.bobboross.com/page22/page61/page73/page73.html Jordan, M.F. (2001). Amphibiologie: Ethnographic Surrealism in French Discourse on Jazz. Journal of European Studies, 31(2). Retrieved from http://www.questia.com/library/1G1-80748201/amphibiologie-ethnographic-surrealism-in-french-discourse   McRae, R. (2005-12). The History of Jazz Dance. Retrieved from http://www.rmda.co.nz/history/the-history-of-jazz-dance.htm. Victoria and Albert Museum. (2012). History of Black Dance. Retrieved from http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/h/black-dance/. Read More