Jazz

Jazz is a foundational genre of dance that all students are expected to take. Like ballet, Jazz helps a student develop skills and technique that can be transferred into every other class they may take.

Jazz dance was developed in the United States in the early 20th century. Drawing on traditional African dance techniques; jazz became a social craze! In the 1920s, jazz was considered a social dance that took many forms such as swing dance, the jive and the lindy hop. Jazz later became popular in musicals and movies such as Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Flashdance, Chicago, and more!

Dancers loved taking jazz class because the genre allowed them to break away from the rigidity of ballet. Over the years, jazz dance has evolved to include a variety of branches including, broadway or theatrical  jazz, pop and jazz funk. Jazz dance is still utilized the most out of every genre of dance in film, television and on Broadway.

 

In a Jazz class at Dancsync, students are taught proper jazz vocabulary, jazz technique and skills. Students learn how to stretch implementing isolation movements, jazz positions and suspension. Students are taught a variety of jazz walks,  jumps, turns and stylized dance steps in the centre and across the floor. Jazz dance encourages grace, balance and flexibility, and encourages students to add their own personality when learning choreography.