History of Jazz Dance

Jazz dance is a term that is referred to several related dance styles. All of these dance styles are connected through common beginnings, such as, tap, ballet, jazz music, and African-American rhythms, where it originated from in the late 1800’s, and dance.1

The first noted American "jazz dancer" was Joe Frisco around the year 1910, but jazz dance has been around much longer. Jazz dance was made by the slaves that needed an emotional and physical outlet as they were traveling across America2.

Jazz dance often referred to tap dance, because tap dancing to jazz music, was the main performance dance during the 1950’s. Later in the jazz age, it became a “crossbreed of American culture”2. Europe, Africa and America, all gave its own spin on the dance style. Europe gave its technique, America gave it its popularity and Africa gave it its movement and rhythm2. With the other music and dance styles growing in popularity, jazz dance evolved on Broadway into the new, smooth style that is taught today.

Today's jazz dance is known as Modern Jazz, while tap dance branched off to follow its separate path.1

Mainly all jazz dancing is performed in one type of  jazz shoe or another. There are many types of jazz shoes from the beginner slip on shoes, to the jazz sneaker. These shoes are mainly worn for comfort of the feet and for turning during jazz dance.

The clothing you wear for jazz dance are either jazz pants, jazz capris or jazz shorts. You want to have tight fitting bottoms and tops so they do not hinder your dancing.

Jazz dancing has come a long way from what we know today as tap dance to becoming what we know as modern jazz dance. Dance will keep on evolving throughout the years, even at our local dance studio, Stephenville Dance Center.

1History of Jazz Dance - Dance History Articles. (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2016, from http://dancelessons.net/dancehistory/HistoryofJazzDance.html

2Warta Dance Company Director, T. (n.d.). History of Jazz Dance. Retrieved October 16, 2016, from http://dance.lovetoknow.com/History_of_Jazz_Dance