Icons of the bebop

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Lou S. Habash the dancer wouldn’t be who she is today without the influence of modern jazz dancers who have defined the art of the genre as it is known today. My idols, Jack Cole, Katherine Dunham, and Twyla Tharp, are some of the most famous jazz dancers whose techniques and performances made an impact not just on me, but also on the entire world of jazz. Here are the reasons why they stood out:

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 Jack Cole (1911 – 1974)

The man was not called the Father of Jazz Dance Technique and the Father of Theater Dance for nothing. During the Great Depression, he was the first dancer to mix popular jazz moves with modern and ethnic dance styles, which resulted to a unique technical jazz dance that he himself formalized. It was a style that was full of emotion, movements, and animalistic appeal. He worked with the iconic Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe when he choreographed “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend.”

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Katherine Dunham (1909 – 2006)

A proponent of black dance in her time, Katherine Dunham established the black modern dance company Negro Dance Group. Her style was a fusion of Cuban, Haitian, Brazilian, and Caribbean rhythms that resulted into a polyrhythmic strategy. She also made popular the technique called body isolationism.

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Twyla Tharp (1941 – )

"I had to become the greatest choreographer of my time. That was my mission, and that's what I set out to do."

Influenced by a musical family, Tharp had formal dance training in college. At 23, she studied ballet at the American Ballet Theater in New York and eventually founded her company, the Twyla Tharp Dance. She created a dance style that’s not only humorous, but edgy as well, breaking the norm of seriousness and spirituality of what modern dance was then.

My Twitter account offers more information on jazz dancing.

Dancing to the rhythm of the blues

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Since its debut in the city of New Orleans in the turn of the 20th century, jazz music has been touted by many as the only true American art form.

Unlike other music genres, jazz music does not conform to a single tune; it’s more of an idea that develops in the mind and is unleashed through the instruments to create a sound that comes from the soul of the musician.

Jazz music has such a powerful influence that it has branched out into another field of art -- dance.

The earliest record of jazz dancing dates back to the 1800s, in the streets of New Orleans. At this point in history, African Americans were still enslaved under the Spanish and French rule. The upper class Catholic citizens of the city permitted the African slaves to dance in the Congo square, in accordance to the black code which entitles the African slaves a short respite from work.

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The upper class Catholic society thought that by giving the slaves the pleasure of dancing, they will become more compliant at work. This gathering also served as a way to monitor propaganda or voodoo dances which they might perform.

This event however inspired many white Americans to imitate the dance steps of the slaves, and from there, jazz dancing was born.

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So what is jazz dance?

Jazz dancing is essentially a type of dance that showcases the dancer’s original style. It is not based on technicality like most ballroom dancing styles. Rather, it relies on the dancer’s ability to execute an idea which he or she wants to impart.

Jazz dancing is steadily gaining popularity for it is a style most contemporary artists are drawn to. It is so well loved that it is one of the most anticipated dance categories in the hit television show So you think you can dance.

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Jazz dancing is a delightful spectacle to watch as each performance not only shows the dancer’s soul, but also showcases the art form’s rich history.

A jazz music and dance lover herself, Lou S. Habash gravitates towards jazz music because it allows her more freedom of expression than any other kind of music. Connect with her by following her on Twitter.