Jazz Dance: A History of the Roots and Branches

Introduction

INTRODUCTION Wendy Oliver The term jazz dance has multiple meanings and styles of expression that have evolved over the past century. These multiple definitions have been an obstacle to creating a comprehensive history and discussion of the art form, since the question of what to include must be answered before the story of jazz dance can be told. The purpose of this book is to provide an overview of jazz dance past and present, including a look at the different ways that jazz dance has been defined and expressed since its inception. Rather than focusing on one particular type of jazz dance, this book seeks to include all forms that call themselves “jazz” as well as some related genres that do not. An image can help to visualize the relationships among various elements of the jazz dance story, and in this case, a large tree is an apt image: a tree has roots, a trunk, and branches, as does jazz dance. The roots of jazz dance are African, and particularly West African. Enslavement forced huge numbers of West Africans to the United States, along with their music and dance. During the time of slavery, African dance evolved into African-American dance, influenced by many factors including a mixing of Africans from different tribes and countries, restrictions imposed upon slaves regarding dance and music practices, and incorporation of European-based movement observed on the plantation.1 Both before and after emancipation, there were exchanges among dancers of African and European origins. It was all of these roots that ultimately generated the “jazz age” of the early 1900s. The trunk of this metaphorical tree is vernacular jazz dance, which was born in the jazz age. Two of the best-known dances of this time period were the Charleston and the Lindy Hop. These dances and others like them were experienced both socially and as performances, in the jazz clubs, dance halls and theaters of the 1920s and ’30s. Vernacular jazz dance of that era, also known as authentic jazz dance, has been preserved and promoted by several xv aficionados, including Mura Dehn and Terry Monaghan, and is still a part of the jazz dance scene today. However, vernacular jazz dance continues to grow and evolve. The branches on the jazz dance tree are many and varied. One large branch of the tree, theatrical jazz dance, blends elements of ballet, jazz, and other genres to create a mixture that is commonly seen in musical theater, commercial dance and on the concert stage. Another branch on the tree Figure I.1. Jazz Dance Tree by Kimberly Testa. xvi · Wendy Oliver represents tap dance, which shares most of the rhythmic proclivities of jazz dance, but expresses them mainly through the feet. Another large branch on the tree is hip-hop dance, which uses hip-hop music as its driving force. Although it does not share a rhythmic closeness to jazz music, it has retained other elements of its African roots including improvisation, competition, and individual style. Each of these large branches has smaller branches representing the variety of styles within that “branch.” Ideally, this tree would be seen three-dimensionally, so that the intertwining of branches would be evident. Even though the branches appear to be growing apart from one another , they are in fact crisscrossing and creating a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. One purpose of this book is to honor the tree’s roots and trunk, and to explain the basic characteristics inherent in both African dance and vernacular jazz dance. Authentic jazz dance and jazz music developed synchronously; dance scholar Constance Valis Hill notes that they shared “rhythmic motifs, polyrhythms, multiple meters, elements of swing, and structured improvisation ” among other qualities.2 Additional dance scholars such as Brenda Dixon Gottschild, Katrina Hazzard-Gordon, and Kariamu Welsh-Asante have noted and analyzed the characteristics of Africanist dance as well, making it possible to better understand what elements of vernacular jazz and African movement were adopted and adapted within various branches of jazz dance.3 As vernacular jazz dance elements began to merge with ballet and modern dance in the 1940s, a new form was generated that many say lost the true essence of jazz dance and music. Dance scholar Marshall Stearns wrote in 1959: “Today, schools of the dance seem neither to know nor to teach the true jazz dance. . . . Perhaps the core of the problem...