By Stacy DeBroff

Since the 1920’s, many creative dance forms have sprung from the explosive rhythms of jazz dance. Examples of jazz dance range from social dances like the Charleston to Big Band swing to the tap dancing of Fred Astaire. Jazz dance finds its roots in Africa. African folk culture influenced early 20th century stage shows in both Europe and America. The infectious toe-tapping moves that accompanied Ragtime and other honky-tonk music eventually became jazz dance.

It wasn’t long before this syncopated, loose style was popularized in ballrooms and dance halls. Today on Broadway, choreographers use jazz to create unrestricted dance moves filled with attitude and energy. Break-dancing, hip-hop, and modern dance are also all influenced by jazz dance.

• Good jazz demands individual expression and improvisation. It can be identified by bursts of energy radiating from the hips, the isolation of body parts, large dramatic movements and unbroken momentum. Jazz draws its inspiration from a wide variety of dances and social trends, fusing them in clean, efficient movements. Each dancer, choreographer, and director gives jazz a unique and personal interpretation. Jazz technique is more free, less emotional, and less academic than ballet.

• The average pair of jazz shoes costs between $20 and $30.

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