Jazz Dance Research

• Jazz dancing first started in World War 2

• Before the 1950s "jazz dance" referred to styles that originated from African American Vernacular Dance

• Modern jazz has roots from traditional Caribbean dance

• Syncopated rhythm, isolation, improvisation, and a low centre of gravity are all important elements of jazz dance.

• Some famous jazz dancers/directors/choreographers are:

• Michael Bennet - Tony Award Winner famous for Chorus Line and Dream Girls

• Jack Cole - Considered the "father of jazz dance"

• Gene Kelly - Dance film icon

• Bob Fosse - Created a new style of dance that inspired Fred Astaire