B.) A list of criteria used to compare both jazz dance styles.
II. Data Sections
A.) Which form of jazz dance in its origin impacted the community best?
1.) Research
2.) Analysis
B.) What type of jazz dance style is preferred by society and why?
1.) Research
2.) Analysis
C.) Which of these jazz dance styles is easier to learn and why?
1.) Research
2.) Analysis
III. Conclusion
A.) Summary of data sections.
B.) Judgment of which jazz dance style is superior.
Introduction
Jazz metamorphosized from early African American vernacular dance style during the slavery period into a dance now performed in stages, clubs, streets and even made movies about having evolved and made a lot of historic changes (Nguyen, 2018). Below are details about the two jazz dance styles:
Traditional Jazz
During the slavery age in the United States, slaves were prohibited by the slave act of 1740 from African dances performance or playing African drums which were their physical and emotional outlet. They later invented a swift stamping footwork with patting and clapping of hands against the body as their new way of expressing themselves (Nguyen, 2018).
Modern Jazz
American whites took interest into this slave music and dance in the 1920’s and parodied this dance in the 1950’s through innovators such as Bob Fosse, Katherine Dunham, and Jake Cole, who turned it into a theatrical dance performed on stage. This included incorporating musical instruments and the change of dressing to form modern jazz (Nguyen, 2018).
To compare these two forms of jazz the following criteria will be used:
A.) Which form of jazz dance in its origin impacted the community best?
B.) What type of jazz dance style is preferred by society and why?
C.) Which of these jazz dance styles is easier to learn and why?
These criteria will help in knowing the full knowledge of their origin, differences, transmutation over time and importance.
A. Which form of jazz dance in its origin impacted the community best?
For traditional jazz, the restrictions towards the prohibition of playing drums and dancing for the African slaves, jazz music and dance, which then was only rapid footwork through stamping, was a way of releasing out emotions which is therapeutic in nature thus being curative towards the hardship they experienced as slaves (Warren, 2018). it impacted unity and provided joy despite the harsh living.
Modern Jazz on the other hand which had evolved through various artists, became the new music genre trending in America to the extent that France became interested, calling it the African Music since African American’s played exclusively, Jazz got infectious to the extent that Paris embraced the culture and jazz became known to the whole of France. Modern Jazz was not only rhythm but also came as a culture package inclusive of wild partying, dressing and even women’s liberty. Women were initially home-based and unemployed in America but after the 19th
Amendment that allowed women to vote which brought about an uprising to women’s freedom and rights and with the popularity of jazz women went to parties and jazz jams in bars and clubs freely. Jazz being an African music that cried for liberty became also liberty to women (Hennel. 2018).
Morden Jazz also brought about the change towards clothing, pre 1920’s women wore long dresses with sleeves with puffed layers, corsets, cage crinolines, and a tiny waistline, this changed with jazz where women wore short sleeves, shorter dresses to the extent of levels above the knee which allowed the dancers to move freely and also fringes which would fly while dancing and short hair, bob. This changed the mode of dressing in America and the world at large, women wore whatever they pleased despite the moral standards of those days, jazz came with a fashion revolution. Although the start of modern jazz dance may seem immoral today it is widely used even in churches, therefore, jazz is subject to instrumentation of any sort (Hennel. 2018).
Analysis
An original liberation culture is vividly seen in jazz due to its origin by the African slaves, jazz is a rebel’s music. Modern jazz brings out the notion of a rebel seeking out to find ecstasy and run free in pursuit of self-fulfillment, it has a sense of togetherness but in a split manner, whereby jazz dance is the moment and life in a state of levitation.
Traditional jazz dance was a way of expression from the heart, a curative way to release the burdens of the day and the struggle, a way of coming together to find joy and encouragement, a connection deeper than musical instruments banged together harmoniously just to arouse feelings. Morden jazz compared to traditional jazz is a form of levity. Traditional jazz sought out community building in a moral manner, not selflessness.
Traditional jazz impacted the African slaves in a more superior way than modern jazz.
B. What type of jazz dance style is preferred by society and why?
Modern jazz has taken over due to civilization, therefore, the essence of slavery in the traditional jazz is no more but it is still practiced among African Americans with the modern name ’ Stepping’. African Americans have not let go of this tradition in remembrance of their ancestral heritage and culture, they are highly esteemed of it and proud of it, an example to this is from the movie ‘Step Sisters’ (Stone, 2018)where we see the African Americans still holding on to the dance.
Beyoncé Knowles’s song ‘Love on Top, (Knowles, 2011) is the epitome of modern jazz today, she is one of the most appreciated musicians and dancers worldwide. The integration of musical instruments to compose a smooth instrumental, lyricism and finally jazz dance styles is really captivating, not forgetting the attire to fit the description of the genre and dancing to the lyrics as to the beat too. One cannot deny this song which is categorized as smooth jazz is truly captivating.
Analysis
In the movie ‘Step Sisters’ a form of the traditional dance is represented and in Beyoncé’s song ‘Love on Top’ modern jazz is also represented, one cannot deny the fact that Beyoncé Knowles’s song is more attractive visually and musically, there is no special lyricism in a way of expression in traditional jazz dance style, modern jazz synthesizes the expression with the dance hence much preference towards modern jazz as the most accepted form of jazz dance style in the society.
C. Which of these jazz dance styles is easier to learn and why?
Traditional jazz dance style is easier to lean, this is because it involves the coordination of body parts without musical instruments just like in the above reference the movie ‘ Step Sisters’ (Stone, 2018)while on the other hand modern jazz dance style involves a choreography synthesizing musical instruments and lyricism (Knowles, 2011).
Conclusion
In the three discussed criteria traditional jazz dance seems to get more approval, it impacted best the community in its beginning and although it is not preferred today in the society it is still easy to learn. Morden jazz dance is also great despite having a rebellious immoral outbreak in its beginning and also a bit complex to learn today, it is the most preferred dance due to its musicality and great evolution.
In spite of the fact that traditional jazz wins the criteria approval points, modern jazz is the modern world dance, evolving with the number of many musical artists who invent and add more to it, it is more fascinating. Traditional jazz dance styles can be incorporated into it to form even a better modern jazz dance style, its diversity to communicate any message today supersedes the traditional jazz, it can convey a message of freedom, love, war, anger, God… any message an artist wants to pass out there.
References
Hennel, N. (2018). The Influence of Jazz on Women's Fashion and Society in the 1920s [Ebook]. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/5034145/The_Influence_of_Jazz_on_Womens_Fashion_and_ Society_in_the_1920s
Nguyen, M. (2018). Modern Jazz - The History of Dance. Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/site/ugadancehistory/modern-jazz
Warren, M. (2018). The Impact of Music Therapy on Mental Health | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness. Retrieved from https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/December- 2016/The-Impact-of-Music-Therapy-on-Mental-Health
Knowles, B. (2017). Love On Top [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob7vObnFUJc
Stone, C. (2018). Step Sisters [Film]. Oglethorpe University , Atlanta Georgia: Netflix.
Annotated Bibliography
Hennel, N. (2018). The Influence of Jazz on Women's Fashion and Society in the 1920s https://www.academia.edu/5034145/The_Influence_of_Jazz_on_Womens_Fashion_and_Society_in_the_1920s
This article by Academia portrays the revolutionary change brought by Jazz to the world at large. It shows its humble start from the African slaves evolving to a musical genre called jazz dominating the whole of America and France. The author brings out an element of pursuit for freedom in jazz, being a dance that originated from a people seeking freedom, it brought such impact on the communities in the 1920’s, especially to women. Through jazz dance, women’s fashion changed from the moral traditional dresses to short rather too short dresses and also short hair. This article is a good reference towards viewing jazz dance not from a musical perceptive only but also as a social and cultural influencer worldwide.
Nguyen, M. (2018). Modern Jazz - The History of Dance. https://sites.google.com/site/ugadancehistory/modern-jazz
This article by Mychi Nguyen serves as the best historic and descriptive outline towards understanding the roots of jazz dance even to its evolution to being modern jazz. The author explains Traditional jazz dance and how it was performed and also clearly puts put its difference with modern jazz. He also mentions the partakers of revolutionizing jazz to what it is today which is an important detail in the history of jazz. This article is actually the best brief historical account of jazz dance.
Warren, M. (2018). The Impact of Music Therapy on Mental Health
https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/December- 2016/The-Impact-of-Music-Therapy-on-Mental-Health
This article by the National Alliance on Mental Illness explains the therapeutic effect of music towards handling stress. It points out key things in music that can help one overcome depression, stress, anxiety anger, sadness or any other negative feeling. Lyricism, genre, intensity if the beat, vocal of the singer and other components of music may trigger one to calm down and actually heal the negative energy away. It is related to jazz dance since the African slaves used jazz dance, Traditional, as a way of uniting together to let out emotions and be happy thus healing from the depressing day of hard labor and mistreatment. This article best describes the impact of music on a person and its therapeutic abilities.
Knowles, B. (2017). Love On Top https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob7vObnFUJc
This is a music video by the infamous female musician Beyoncé Knowles, Love on Top. The author of the music presents a jazz dance in the category of jazz genre called smooth jazz, through her soothing lyrics of expressing love in conjunction with the smooth music instrumental and dance that goes hand in hand with the lyrics. This a representation of the evolution of jazz dance from the traditional to the 1920’s and now in the 21st century, jazz dance is quite different and actually better. This music clearly depicts the transformation of jazz dance to the present times.
Stone, C. (2018). Step Sisters [Film]. Oglethorpe University, Atlanta Georgia: Netflix.
This is a 21st movie namely presenting to us how traditional jazz dance used to be performed and its importance to African American heritage even now in the 21st Century. It shows a community of African Americans in college still practicing traditional jazz dance in a community manner and using it for recreational purposes, competing amongst each other to reveal who is the best at it. In this 21st century, it has been renamed to ‘Stepping’ detaching it from its original African American Vernacular Dance and also from referring to it as a form of jazz. This article shows the preservation of the African American heritage of traditional jazz dance.
