Here's Everything You Need to Know About Jazz Dance
Jazz dancing was born at the turn of the 20th century Black American dancers started to combine the traditional steps from African heritage with European dance moves. It was initially created as a social and religious dance style.
Then, the dance has evolved to be performative art along with the changes in Jazz music and the creation of its subgenres. To the present day, jazz dance has become America’s #1 dance style and is the basis of routines performed by pro cheerleaders in the arenas for NBA and NFL games.
For pro cheer auditions, jazz dancing is also considered to be the dancing style that scores second-best in front of the judges right after arena dancing. In this blog post, you’ll learn more about the benefits of jazz dancing for your pro cheer career, the basics of the dance genre, and the techniques on how to perform it.
The Benefits of Jazz Dancing
1. Makes you express emotions
Dancing has been used as a form of therapy for those who have experienced traumatic events or suffer mental and emotional problems. Through jazz dancing, you can channel your emotions and express them in safe environments. It doesn’t matter if it’s from happiness or anger.
2. Improves physical health
Like any other form of exercise, jazz dancing can help you lose weight, increase flexibility, stamina, and improve body balance and coordination.
3. Good stress reliever
Jazz dances are often performed to fast-paced music. This will train you to move quickly and accurately by focusing your mind on what you’ve practiced and the different auditory cues of the songs. As a result, your mind is able to release its stresses and helps you relax.
How to Get Started
To start getting into jazz dancing, it’s best to honor each page on the history of the dance genre. You can do this by attending in-person classes locally or by enrolling through an online mentorship. So look around your area for posters or search actively online.
Instructors can then teach you the basic moves to advanced techniques through comprehensive step-by-step learning sessions. If you have extensive experience in dancing and deem yourself as a fast learner, there are plenty of resources online like Steezy or YouTube for you to use.
3 Basic Techniques of Jazz Dancing
1. Chaîné turns
This jazz dance technique is a basic technique that allows you to turn while still being able to move in a straight line or perfect circle.
2. Box Step or Jazz Square
The jazz square is a four-step technique used in choreographies to give dancers time to get back in position during mid-performance. Since this technique is mostly done slowly, it also provides a short break to help performers catch up with their breath.
3. Chasse
During arena performances that require the use of pom-poms, pro cheer teams include chasses so that pro cheerleaders can move across the field or stage smoothly while dancing.
These are the comprehensive basics of jazz dancing. If you’re interested to learn more about the dance genre for the auditions or for being a better squad dancer, do additional research online. Attend online or in-person classes. Master the basics and intermediate techniques. Then create your own choreography to perform at the auditions or during the home games of your team.
Improve your dancing by reading these articles!
- Make These 8 Dance Resolutions To Become Better At What You Do
- A Dancer's Top Secrets To Learning and Mastering Choreography Quickly
- How to Develop Fluidity as a Dancer
- Dance Like A Pro: How To Avoid Feeling And Looking Awkward On Stage
- How to Improve Your Core Strength for Dancing
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