Jazz Dance: A History of the Roots and Branches

Description

“A must-read for all dancers as the invaluable historical references and in-depth coverage of the different jazz forms cannot be found in such detail in any other book on the market today.”—Debra McWaters, author of Musical Theatre Training “Artfully weaves history and professional perspectives to reveal the boundaries of the jazz dance world. It invites the reader to develop a more complicated definition of jazz dance for the twenty-first century.”—Susan A. Lee, Northwestern University The history of jazz dance is best understood by thinking of it as a tree. The roots of jazz dance are African. Its trunk is vernacular, shaped by European influence, and exemplified by the Charleston and the Lindy Hop. From the vernacular have grown many and varied branches, including tap, Broadway, funk, hip-hop, Afro-Caribbean, Latin, pop, club jazz, popping, B-boying, party dances, and more. Unique in its focus on history rather than technique, Jazz Dance offers the only overview of trends and developments since 1960. Editors Lindsay Guarino and Wendy Oliver have assembled an array of seasoned practitioners and scholars who trace the numerous histories of jazz dance and examine various aspects of the field, including trends, influences, training, race, aesthetics, international appeal, and its relationship to tap, rock, indie, black concert dance, and Latin dance. Featuring discussions of such dancers and choreographers as Bob Fosse and Katherine Dunham, as well as analyses of how the form’s vocabulary differs from ballet, this complex and compelling history captures the very essence of jazz dance. Review: Excellent & accurate information, good reference - Love this book - very informative and accurate information on everything jazz dance. I appreciate the layout of the book. It makes for a very easy read. It's a great book to learn the overall history of jazz dance but also to use as a reference or teaching aid. One of my favorite things about the book is how it describes all the different types of jazz dance. It's very thorough and most importantly, current and up to date with the trend that jazz dance has taken. Highly recommend. I haven't been able to find a book that compares to this one. Review: All Dance Educators should read this book! - This book is full of valuable information that will help dancers and dance educators understand Jazz dance in a more holistic sense. I learned more about the richness of Jazz from this book than all my years in technique class in studio and university.