Lauren Keffler

Jazz II

28 March 2020

Lyrical Jazz Dance - “I Will Be Stronger” Combination Analysis

1. Traditional kinetic elements of jazz dance include the use of the flat foot, bent

hip/knee/elbow joint, an articulated inclined torso, body-part isolations, groundedness,

and angularity/asymmetry (Oliver, 5-6); all of these elements can be found in the

combination. For example, the plié at 1:05 makes use of the flat foot, bent

knee/hip/elbow joints, and an articulated inclined torso. The arm extensions at the very

beginning of the combination (1:03) are body part isolations and the drop of the upper

body at 1:39 shows groundedness. Asymmetry/angularity is seen throughout the entire

piece, including during the relevé at 1:04 and the reach at 1:13.

2. There could be a more obvious lack of separation between the dancer and audience to

give the dance some more social elements of traditional jazz dance; it could be

incorporated throughout, but especially from the reach+plié (1:44) to the end of the

dance. There could also be more room for improvisation; the chaîné and pirouette section

across the floor (1:16-1:20) could be changed to allow the dancer to choose any four

turns to get them across the floor. Another place to add improvisation could be the

X-jump at the very end of the combination (1:54); this could be changed so the dancer

can choose any kind of jump or leap.

3. I think I would try to make this piece my own by putting a lot of emphasis on my arm

movements, specifically by making them really sharp and continuing to stretch them out
(when called for) until the last second. I tend to do this in my dancing in general because

I think it gives my gestures a cleaner look.

 Works Cited

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

University Press of Florida, 2014.