Lauren Keffler

Jazz II

9 May 2020

Final Exam Assignment

At the beginning of this semester, I had never really thought of the differences in

different styles of jazz dance. I was aware of the existence of, for example, traditional jazz dance

and lyrical jazz dance and I knew that they differed, but I had written it down in detail or read

about it. Our work this semester has given me a basic understanding of a few jazz dance styles.

I’ve also learned more about the African roots that jazz dance; I found that “tree” of different

jazz dance styles (Oliver, xvi) particularly helpful with my understanding.

Traditional jazz dance developed with jazz music from the 1920s through the 1940s. It

has visible roots in African movement qualities and is characterized by a grounded swing

quality, an inclined torso, syncopation (the accenting of the offbeat in music or the space in

between the beats), polyrhythms (multiple rhythms, sometimes within the same body),

polycentrism (movement comes from more than one place at a time, with different body parts

moving independently), and the articulation of the torso. The other half of traditional jazz dance

characteristics are social, including (but not limited to) the group circle, improvisation, friendly

competition, vocal encouragement, and individuality within the group (Oliver, 24-25).

Commercial jazz dance is any type of jazz or jazz-influenced dance that is associated

with selling a product or performed in large venues for a profit (i.e. nightclubs, on television, in

film, etc). Commercial jazz dance of the 1980s, 1990s, and beyond helped to bridge the gap
between the golden age of movie musicals and contemporary film and theatrical dance in the

2000s (Oliver, 28).

Lyrical jazz dance began in the 1960s and is rooted in the lines of classical ballet. There

is typically some sort of emotional context, and the style of the movement is characterized by its

fluidity and expressiveness. The movement is usually inspired by the lyrics of the song, but

lyrical jazz dance can also be performed to instrumental music (Oliver, 29).

Vernacular jazz dance is essentially any kind of social dance style that reflects a time,

culture, and community. The form continuously changes along with changes in society and

culture; it is often related to popular music (i.e. Elvis Presley’s hips movements, the Twist,

Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk). Hip-hop dance is an example of vernacular jazz dance, as it does

not necessarily require studio training or ballet technique, and it grew out of American culture

and music (Oliver, 29-30).

Vernacular jazz dance is most similar to traditional jazz dance, but not exactly the same.

To sum it up, all traditional jazz dance can be considered vernacular jazz dance, but vernacular

jazz dance is not limited to just traditional jazz dance. While traditional jazz dance remains

rooted in the first half of the 1900s, vernacular jazz dance has continued to grow and evolve to

this day. Commerical jazz dance is can be done in any other style, but it differs in its essential

purpose: it is done to make a profit, either by directly selling a product or by bringing in an

audience. Lyrical jazz dance is more reminiscent of ballet than the other styles of jazz dance

mentioned and it lacks the social elements of traditional jazz dance. However, its roots can still

be found in the use of certain kinetic elements of traditional jazz dance (i.e. the flat foot, inclined

torso, groundedness, etc).

 Works Cited

Oliver, Wendy, and Lindsay Guarino.​ Jazz Dance : A History of the Roots and Branches.​

University Press of Florida, 2014.