Axial/non-locomotive and Locomotive

Movement:
Plus warm-up, alignment, basic
body skills and qualities of
movement
 Axial/Non-Locomotive Movement
(Movement that doesn’t travel)
 Tilt  Bend
 Swing  Fall
 Elevate  Pull
 Turn  Hinge
 Shake  Bounce/bob
 Rotate  Push
 Curl  Spiral
 Sequential
 Twist
 Reach/stretch
Locomotive Movement (movement that
travels)
 Slide  Jump
 Run  Hop
 Roll  Gallop
 Walk  Crawl
 Skip  Leap
 What is Kinesthetic Awareness?

 Knowing what your body is performing

(movement, alignment, energy…) without having
to look in the mirror to see yourself.
 What is Alignment:
 Correct placement of
the joints for efficient
muscular function
Aspects of proper alignment:

 Chin level
 Shoulders level and down
 Sternum lifted
 Lengthened spine
 Pelvis level
 Knees straight but not locked
 Weight distributed evenly between front and back of
foot
 Joints in line (ankles, knees, and hips).
Purpose of a warm-up:

 Because It Helps!!!:
 Increase blood flow through the body
 Prevent injury
 Increase heart rate
Basic Body Skills:

 Agility: Nimble; Ability to change movement

quickly
 Balance: Forces upon the body and its parts are
equal
 Coordination: Ability to make muscles perform
together
 Endurance: Ability to maintain performance over
an extended period of time
 Flexibility: Pliable; able to move joints easily
 Strength: Ability to apply and resist force
Origins of Jazz Dance
 Said to have sparked from “Jazz” music which
consisted of ragtime, blues, and dixieland.
 Many artists were African American musicians
 These musical forms incorporated syncopation,
European harmonies, complex rhythms of West
Africa, and American gospel singing
Jazz Vocabulary
 Isolations- moving one body part at a time.
 Pas de Bourre- Bourre step; back, side, front.
 Chasse- To chase.
 Chaines- In a chain, links, series of rapid turns.
 Pirouette- Spin, whirl.
 En Dehors- Outside (related to the direction of a turn).
 En Dedans- Inside (related to the direction of a turn).
 6 Step Pirouette- 6 step pattern followed by an en
dehors pirouette.
Jazz Vocab Cont.
 Forced Arch- High on the balls of your feet (releve) and in demi
plie (bent legs).
 Grand Battement- Large beat; kick.
 Jazz Square- 4 step pattern that makes a square; box step.
 Grapevine- Sideways traveling step, alternating crossing in front
and back.
 Jazz Walk- Walk/ steps done in forced arch.
 Ball Change- Change of weight using the ball of the foot.
 Pivot Turn- Turning/ changing direction with both feet connected
to the floor.
 3 Point Turn- A turn completed in 3 steps, right or left.
1900-1930 The Early Years
Started in the south and moved its way up to New York and Chicago.
The Charleston, the Shimmy, and the Lindy Hop, the jitterbug, as
well as several Latin influenced dances such as the Rhumba and the
Conga.
Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, an important black tap dancer, elevated
rhythmic structure, precise footwork and complexity of steps to
professional standards during the 1920’s.
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, combined balletic elegance and jazzy
percussive accents to sustain a partnership on stage and screen. Their
performances created an acceptance for what would evolve into jazz
dance.
1940’s The Swing Era
 The Broadway musical, Oklahoma, choreographed by Agnes de
Mille, was the first open attempt in musical theater history to
advance the storyline using jazz- like choreography.
 Gene Kelly known for his performances in Singin’ in the Rain
and An American in Paris, was also a dominant force in
Hollywood musical films from the mid- 1940’s.
 Jack Cole, often considered the “father” of jazz dance trained in
modern and Asian dance forms. This combination proved
successful for the nightclub, musical, and film choreography.
1950’s Jazz
 In the mid 1950’s ballet and modern dance sprouted their wings
in the US and their appeal helped push jazz dance into a new
growth spurt.
 In 1957, choreographer Jerome Robbins used Jazz- like
choreography to depict street gang life in New York City in the
widely acclaimed, West Side Story. Many theorists view this as
the true beginning of jazz dance as we know it today.
 A new talent, Matt Lennox (a Cole trained dancer), became
identified with a linear, percussive style which he incorporated
into his Broadway, concert dance, and television choreography.
He is a primary figure in the evolution of jazz dance going from
the dance halls to concert halls.
1960’s The Great Emerge
 In the 1960’s, Gus Giordano and Luigi, the “giants of jazz” began to
carve out their own niches, and the face of jazz dance changed from “fun”
to the realm of the highly skilled dancer.
 Giordano was a dancer, teacher, choreographer, author, and founder of
Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Center in Chicago. His book, Anthology of
American Jazz Dance, was the first of its kind and was instrumental in
helping turn the study of jazz dance into a respectable and important
American dance form.
 Dance historians have defined Luigi’s style as classic jazz, sophisticated,
elegant, and liquid fire. The exercise routine he created for his own
rehabilitation after a devastating accident became the world’s first
complete technique for learning jazz dance.
1970’s Broadway Jazz
 Bob Fosse was an American musical theater
choreographer and director, screenwriter and film
director.
 Slick, sensual, fast-paced/angular and fluid at the
same time. (Jazz hands)
 His work includes Chicago, Dancin, Cabaret, and All
That Jazz.
 He won eight Tony awards for choreography, as well as
one for direction.
 He was nominated for an Academy Award four times,
winning for his direction of Cabaret.