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JAZZ Terminology PDF
JAZZ Terminology PDF
Introductions
basics
legs
falls
rolls
undulations
turns - pirouettes
jumps
miscellanious:
other steps
(other techniques)
a delicate matter....
The terminology in jazz dance still stays at present a delicate point, for it can change depending to which
country you find it in. The steps are varied to each origin wich are numerous. So the issue of style is
certainly not definite, they can be created by teachers or choreographers or just inspired by watching
peoples walking down the street. So one should not be suprised of finding the same step with different
names and spellings.
BASICS:
LEGS:
FAN KICK Kick like a high rond de jambe to the front, like a
"fan".
FLICK KICK Développé battement.
FLICK Développe enveloppé.
HITCH KICK Flicking one leg while the other one passes
shooting into the air.
JAZZ SPLIT Split the legs on the floor; the front one is straight
and the back bend in attitude.
KICK Grand battement .
FALLS
ROLLS:
UNDULATIONS:
TURNS - PIROUETTES:
BARREL TURN Airplane turn, open (or close) your arms while
turning, the body is bent forward and the spot is to
the floor (or to the front).
KNEE TURN Turn on the knee.
PENCIL TURN Turns straight, straight legs and hold the arms like
the skaters or the russian.
SPINS (chenés) Turn through the beat. (from french "enchainer" )
Déboules are on the beat, chainés are through the
beat.
TURNS Turn on the beat.
JUMPS:
BARREL JUMP Like jumping over a barrel with both legs bent.
COFFEE GRINDER Pirouette fouetté . Turning jump with one leg bent
and the other in 2nd position.
vidéo-clip (5" / 288 Ko)
MISCELLANIOUS:
JAZZ SQUARE Cross right-r, step side-l, step side-r, step together.
SKATE Slide forward like a skater
TEXAS T Ballroom West Side Story.
POP CORN Step flick. (kind of chorus line exit).
SUSY Q Cross front 4x and left (charleston 1920).
PRIMITIVE SQUAT Hop to the front in a deep second position parallel.
SHORTY GEORGE 1937 it's quite a funny step difficult to describe...
FUNKY FOUR CORNERS: (or funky for cooners?) The hip hits the four direction in a funky way (funky
four corners, or funky for cooners).
CAKE WALK Walking diagonally doing developpés with a arched back (like a
final exit).During the time of slavery, white people organised for
their amusement dance competitions for black people, the best
dancer won a piece of cake. Finally the dance that the black
people made was a parody of the white high society.
LIMBO Walking in a hinge with a shimmie. (Jamaican
dance)
JAMES BROWN James Brown has taken over many steps that black
dancers created at the beginning of this century
(Minstrels, Vaudeville ..) The James Brown is very
fast and funky heel and body movement
MESS AROUND Kind of soutenus with a hiproll and arm spirals
FUNKY CHICKEN Do the chicken, also a James Brown step.
(PECKING CHICKEN)
TRENCHING
vidéo-clip
video-clip (5" / 375 Ko)
SWIM DIVE RESCUE Swim dive and rescue movements (typical 1960-70
Beach boys ).
OTHER STEPS
(Others techniques):
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