The Modern Dance
The modern dance is a broad genre that has its origins in the United States and Germany in the 19th and early 20th centuries (Partsch-Bergsohn, 2013). The modern dance is believed to have been developed as a rebellion against the classical ballet dance. The people that developed the modern dance sought to move to a freer dance style where they would not be restricted by the defined rules for ballet dance. The dance was influenced by historical factors such as the World War II and industrialization. Although it was developed by different dancers, the modern dance in Europe and the United States was similar in that it emphasized freedom from the defined ballet movements, corsets, and pointe shoes (Partsch-Bergsohn, 2013). The modern dance the lines, repetition, and form use the human body as the sculpture. The bodies are moved uniformly and in sequential rhythms to bring a picture of the humans ' continuous change through different times (Partsch-Bergsohn, 2013). In its free style nature, the modern dance does not emphasize on the use of points such as the ankle, knees, and posture. The dancer is allowed to let gravity take control as the make the turn ins and use their body emotionally. The feet are frequently flexed and the body is freely twisted and kept close to the ground. Unlike the ballet dance, the modern dance's lines are not so straight. The dancers use their body to make movements that match the rhythm of the music. It was inspired by an exploring nature of the dancers and their desire to break away from the restrictive ballet dance (Partsch-Bergsohn, 2013). It also developed in the US and Europe based on the world political, historical, and economical themes. Its movement creates an exciting and electric mood due it its free and vigorous nature. Some of the names that contributed to the development of the modern dance include Martha Graham, Isadora Duncan, Katherine Dunham, and Jose Limon. All of the dancers created their own styles of modern dances to allow freedom of movement and move away for the restrictive ballet dance (Partsch-Bergsohn, 2013). They identified a need to have dancing styles that allow the dancers to use their mood and emotions, not rules, to move the bodies in rhythms.
The Jazz Dance
Jazz dances were brought to America by the Africans who had been captured as slaves (Gioia, 2011). Jazz is a mix of the African rhythms and the European harmonic structure of music and dances. It started as a traditional African folk dance and steadily gained popularity and use in ballrooms as people embraced it. Jazz is improvised and greatly lacks the vigor and lively nature of the original African dances. The dance was introduced to New Orleans, in the United States, in early 1900s (Gioia, 2011). Different people have differently used the word jazz to refer to different dance styles but mainly implies to the theatrical or character dances of African origin. A person may use jazz as a dance style when dancing solo, with partners, or in groups. Jazz dancers use their body to bring out the line, form, repetition, and rhythm of the art that is created through music (Gioia, 2011). The dancers ' ability and skills to use their body to bring out quality movement define the quality of jazz dances. The main forms of jazz dance are Charleston and jitterbug dances and differ in movement (Gioia, 2011). Primarily, repetition and rhythms are used in Charleston dances by the use of feet and hands. Foot-stamps are the main form of repetition where dancers severally stamp their feet in unison or interchangeably. Another movement that is usually repeated is the forward and the backward kicks during forward movements. On the other hand claps are used to create the rhythm along which they dance or to enhance the rhythm when a musical instrument is used. Generally, the dancers use their knees and leg movements to make lines and shapes. Charleston dances are characterized by bending knees and straightening them while pivoting their feet in and out. The jitterbug dance is more vigorous and energetic and involves rhythm movements that follow definite sequences. It became more popular in the 1930s and is made in slow, slow, quick, and quick repetition movements in six counts of music. The jitterbug has steps to the sides, and not to forward like the Charleston. On the counts of five and six, the dancers take a backward rock step. The Jazz dance depicts a historical, social, cultural, and ethnic influence on music and dances (Gioia, 2011). The African, American, and some European cultures have been of great influence on the development of jazz dances and its varied forms. Isolation is the primary move used during the initiation of jazz dances and the performers move one part of their body as the others remain still. The intensity grows with time, following rhythmic beats and soon several body parts are used at the same time or interchangeably. Jazz has developed and evolved since the 1900s, changing from the natural talented dancers to the modern trained dancers that incorporate varied aspects into the free body dances. Some of the renowned jazz choreographers include Gus Giordano, Bob Fosse, and Michael Kidd (Abbott, 2017). Giordano was influenced by classical music and the modern free body isolation movements. Bob Fosse was more creative and came up with a slick and intense dancing style that topped the charts for a long time. Michael Kidd merged the ballet and classical dance movements to develop a jazz dance style.
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References
Abbott, J. (2017). A New Hybrid Form: The Evolution of Jazz Dance on the 1940s Broadway Stage. Retrieved from https://dance.barnard.edu/sites/default/files/jane_abbott.pdf
Gioia, T. (2011). The history of jazz. New York , NY: Oxford University Press.
Partsch-Bergsohn, I. (2013). Modern Dance in Germany and the United States: cross currents and influences. New York, NY: Routledge.
