jazz Flashcards
What is a Jazz Class?
A jazz class is an energetic and exhilarating class of rhythmic movement. One of the reasons children love this form of dance is the highly energetic and motivational music that is used. The class is started with a safe and effective warm up to develop strength, balance, and flexibility. The students wil learn specific movement skills that will help them to feel and identify with the music and develop a technique and style to perform. The class will serve to expand and nurture the dancer’s creative talent. Besides the fun of movement, the student will learn discipline through participation in the classroom structure and mutual respect for their fellow students.
Give a formal definition of jazz including historical, technical, and social aspects that have influenced this dance style.
ANSWER:
Jazz is a rhythmic stylized dance form conceived in America. Jack Cole called it “American Folk Dance.”
It evolved along the lines parallel to jazz music, or music that swings.
Jazz is a blend of traditions in which the European influences contributed the elegance, and the African influences presented the rhythmic propulsion. Jazz technique borrows from European classical ballet, American modern dance, and other varied techniques folk dance brought to us from every corner of the world. The further blending of characteristics from African traditional dance, the influence of musical styles past and present, and current social and cultural influences, al make up the energy of jazz.
List four styles of jazz dance.
ANSWER:
Classic Jazz (Styles of Jack Cole, Mat Mattox, Luigi, Gus Giordano, Phil Black and others of their contemporaries), African Traditional, Afro-Cuban, Boogie Woogie (includes 40’s Swing and Jitterbug), Blues, Funk, Hip Hop, Latin, Lyrical, Musical Theatre and Rock.
List four styles of music that have influenced jazz dance.
Ragtime, Dixieland, Blues, Boogie, Afro-Cuban, Latin, Jazz, Big Bands, Rock, Disco, Pop Rap, HipHop, Techno, and always included are the most popular music trends.
List three other dance forms and what they contribute to the development of the jazz dancer. (1.50Pts - 25Pt Per)
BALLET: for the understanding of proper alignment, posture and placement TAP for timing, speed, agility, and rhythmic dynamics
[Type text]
1
MODERN:
for movement dynamics, inner strength and balance, individualistic expression, and different approaches to movement
ACROBATIC for strength and flexibility
BALLROOM for rhythm, posture, versatility and bodyline LYRICAL
for expanding emotion and quality of movement HIP HOP for sharp, energetic, and dynamic isolations
List six common elements of the jazz class
ANSWER:
Pre-Warm-Up … Alignment exercises
Warm-Up
General large muscle groups Small muscle groups Strengthening exercises
Flexibility exercises Endurance conditioning Floor work
Isolations
Balance Work
Specific skill development
Progressions across the floor
Short combinations, neuromuscular coordination
Longer combinations and choreography Improvisational studies
Cool down
Reverance
List four goals of a dance class.
Should develop dance technique, alignment, and centering
Should develop neuromuscular coordination
Should enhance rhythm and musicality
Should improve movement memory
Should improve dance fitness, strength, flexibility, and endurance
Should develop focus, concentration, and stamina to match the requirements of daily rehearsals and performances
Should develop performance qualities, style, and ability to communicate the meaning of movement Should motivate and inspire love of the creative process
Define posture
Posture is the position of the body
Define placement
Placement refers to the weight carriage.
Define alignment
Alignment is the relationship of the body segments to each other.
List, in both English and French, the seven movements of dance.
ANSWER:
Plier to bend
Relever to ride
Sauter to jump
Tourner to turn
Glisser to glide
Etendre to stretch
Elancer to dart
List and describe the three common methods of stretching.
STATIC STRETCHING involves holding a position that places a particular muscle or muscel group in a lengthened position and holding a ten to thirty second stretch in an effort ot relaxeht meucls that is undergoing the stretch. Static Stretching provides a safe and effective way of improving flexibility.
BALLISTIC STRETCHING involves bouncy movements where momentumsi dynamicaly used to stretch a muscle. The risk of injury and muscle soreness is much greater than with other methods of stretching
PNF STRETCHING (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation), PNF techniques aim to alter neural input influencing muscle length to improve flexibility. One common version (contract-release) utilizes a 10 second contraction of the muscle followed by 10 seconds of “relaxation” during which the same muscle is passively stretched This procedure is generally repeated three times, folowed by a 30 second static stretch at the end. PNF techniques are useful for less flexible dancers who are having
difficulty improving their flexibility.
Why are isolations important ni the training of a jazz dancer? (1Pt)
They serve to develop coordination and articulation of body parts, increase range of motion, and help the dancer to have a better understanding of true center alignment.
Name two teaching techniques and or considerations that you would include ni your lesson plan for teaching a Level I Student.
Procedure and classroom etiquette needs to be addressed
Do not progress a beginner student too fast
Stress basic rhythm patterns
Use repetition as many ways as possible
Keep movements symmetrical for this level
Beginners need to feel the floor both standing and sitting
Proper body alignment needs to be constantly addressed
Clean, simplistic port de bras should be developed
Work on coordination and retention of movement as opposed to style
Combine several basic elements that have the ability to repeat Exercises and movement patterns should be easy enough to reverse
Name two teaching techniques and or considerations that you would include in your lesson plan for teaching a Level II Student.
ANSWER:
Consider the age of the student
Repetition continues to be an important factor
A certain level of technical proficiency has been achieved
An inner connection to the movement begins to develop
Movements should be reversible without the help of the teacher
Work to assimilate longer progressions and movement combinations
Various approaches to instruction are needed to get ideas across
Work to develop stronger and more advanced battements, turns, and leaps
Challenges should be added by using styles, intricate rhythms, more changes ni direction, using quick changes of weight, attention to transitions, using stop-start action, and reversing movements
