Jazz dance is a ‘high energy’ key core class that is filled with great music and strong traditional jazz technique. Based in ballet, Jazz has always been influenced by the sounds and rhythms of jazz music and the music of today.
A Brief History:
The steps and essential style of jazz dancing, originated from dances of Africans brought to the Americas as slaves. Originally, the term jazz dance encompassed any dance done to jazz music, including both tap dance and jitterbug.
Over time, a clearly defined jazz genre emerged, changing from a street dance to a theatrical dance performed on stage by professionals. Some scholars and dancers, especially Swing and Lindy Hop dancers, still regard the term jazz dance as an umbrella term which includes both the original and the evolved versions: they refer to the theatrical form of jazz dance as modern jazz.