Musical Theatre – Jazz Dance

Jazz dance is a style of dance that builds on African American dancing that merged with Jazz music. It is compared to ballet as a “downbeat version” which is more frantic. Examples of Jazz dancing include:

• Charleston (1920s)
• Swing (1940s-1950s)
• Jive (1950s-1960s)
• Tap (1800s)

In the 1910’s, a dance move named the “Shimmy” gained popularity due to a Spencer William song, “Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble”. The movement included the simple act of isolating (keeping everything else still) the shoulders and shaking them. Often, people used the “Shimmy” in their hips instead.

Another Jazz dance style is the Charleston. The dance was developed by Katheryn Wilson and is associated with ‘the flappers’ of 1920. The flappers wore short skirts and cut their hair short into a bob (this is how you will find people are dressed in videos of the dance). This dance was a great physical representation of the post-WW1 enthusiasm.

Tap dance is considered to be the ‘original form of Jazz’. Although Jazz has become a separate dance in its own right now, it is said to have evolved from tap. The movements are very similar, however, tap involves far more isolation of the feet. When it comes to tap dancing, the beat that you tap your feet in is extremely important. In the video below, it is clear how in-time all of the dancers are – not only with the song – but with each other. This translates to jazz dance, which is also very much about keeping in with the beat of the music and really feeling it.

These days, people are taking Jazz dance far more seriously. People take professional classes, even, and make Jazz dancing their entire lives.

Jazz dancing became very popular in old musicals or musical films

Bob Fosse is an example of a choreographer who loved Jazz dance. He choreographed many musical works both on stage and in films, for example, in Chicago or Cabaret. Jerome Robbins also choreographed West Side Story. The fact he focused mainly on classical ballet, shows how linked the two dance styles are. Jack Cole was an American dancer, choreographer, and theatre director known as “the Father of Theatrical Jazz Dance”. Cole choreographed dances in Cover Girl, Meet me After the Snow, Gilda and many more.