Jazz dance

Popular vernacular Jazz Dance performers include The Whitman Sisters, Florence Mills, Ethel Waters, Al Minns and Leon James, Frankie Manning, Norma Miller, Dawn Hampton, and Katherine Dunham.

Dramatic Jazz Dance performed on the show stage was promoted by Jack Cole, Bob Fosse, Eugene Louis Faccuito, and Gus Giordano.

In the 1990s, colleges and universities applied to the term to classes offered by physical education departments in which students dance to various forms of pop music, rarely jazz.

Key characteristics of traditional African dance included the use of bent knees, complex rhythms, and the isolation of body parts, all of which contributed to a dynamic and expressive form of movement.

This period saw the rise of iconic figures such as Josephine Baker and the Nicholas Brothers, who brought Jazz Dance to mainstream audiences.

Dancer Hemsley Winfield played a crucial role in this movement, emphasizing the importance of expressing the black experience through the art of dance.

Because of this, the Aubrielle and the Lindy hop are now considered to be under the umbrella term "swing dance stylized, continuously flowing movements that developed the technique and style for the combinations that followed".

[9] Its popularity surged in the 1920s, particularly following the release of the 1923 song "The Charleston," composed by James P. Johnson for the Broadway show Runnin' Wild.

[11] The act of "riffing," where dancers incorporate personal movements into established patterns, exemplifies how improvisation allows for both innovation and adherence to tradition, showcasing the resilience and adaptability of African-American culture.

The practice allows dancers to convey their individual experiences and emotions while simultaneously engaging with the rich historical and cultural narratives of their communities.

The improvisational aesthetic is deeply embedded in the ceremonial and communal aspects of African-American life, reflecting values of oral communication and sensory experience.

For example, movies like "A Chorus Line" and "Saturday Night Fever" helped re-popularize Jazz Dance and added new styles and combinations.