Jazz History
Where did Jazz Dance originate from?
What is Africa?
Slaves brought over explosive, sensuous, grounded, and rhythmic dances that captured the public's imagination.
This step is like a gallop in 3 counts.
What is a Chasse?
This turn is also known as a "three-point turn."
What is a Chaines Turn?
This choreographer's style is known for curved shoulders, turned-in knees, and even bowler hats.
Who is Bob Fosse?
This style takes its inspiration from the Great White Way...
What is Musical Theatre or Broadway Jazz
Isolations in jazz dance developed from this kind of dance.
What is African dance?
This foundational step is NOT the same as its ballet namesake.
What is a Jazz Pas du Bourres?
This step is similar to its ballet counterpart but is done in parallel.
What is a jazz pirouette?
The Father of Theatrical Jazz Dance
Who is Jack Cole?
It’s a mix of hip hop, jazz and the latest dance steps, choreographed to pop songs
What is Commercial (or Sassy) Jazz?
What city in the US is known as the epicenter for evolving both jazz and tap dance?
What is New Orleans?
In jazz dance, this is also known as a "high kick".
What is a Grande Battement?
This turn uses a foundational step done in a turning motion.
What is a Pas du Bourres turn?
His style was known to blend modern jazz, social dance, and ballet. He was also known for infusing humor and relevant issues into many of his pieces.
Who is Jerome Robbins?
It’s a style performed from the core, with clean and strong lines emanating from the hips and chest...
What is Classic Jazz?
In the 1930's, Jack Cole added influences from these two cultures into his choreography, helping create the performance/theatrical jazz that we know today.
What are the East Indian and African cultures?
In this step, the foot is placed next to the knee.
What is a Passe?
This intermediate-level turn is both a turn and a jump and simply means "turn in the air."
What is "Tour en l'air?"
He is known for envisioning the body as a straight line with curving lines of light energy.
Who is Matt Mattox?
It challenges the rules and foundations of classic jazz by adding pedestrian movements, strong storylines and self-expression.
What is Contemporary Jazz? (Also known as simply, Contemporary Dance.)
This dance company's founder infused gospel, blues and African-American spirituals with modern dance for his own acclaimed jazzy riff on traditional modern dance.
What is the Alvin Ailey Dance Company?
Founder: Alvin Ailey
A movement in which the back is rounded and the head si the last part of the body to come up.
What is a contraction or roll-up?
Jazz Dancers of an advanced level often do many of these turns in choreography.
What is an A La Seconde turn?
Known for creating the "jazz exercise technique," this NY choreographer/teacher's real name is Eugene Louis Faccuito.
Who is Luigi?
It’s a blend of street dance and jazz—a stylization of what was being done in aerobic dance classes
What is Street Jazz?