For the last few weeks in performing arts we have been looking at jazz style dancing with the intention of creating audition pieces to perform. We split into three groups and each group had to devise a short routine, each group had to modify jazz to make it either more rock and roll, lyrical or street orientated. This was so we could see how jazz influences more modern dance styles and so everyone in the group had at least one style that they would be able to pick up easily and be very strong in.
My group was doing street jazz. The way we modified it to make it more jazz like was to keep it more flowing and looser so it would seem more jazz like. We chose a song that was quite slow because it had a good back beat and meant that movements would be complimented by the music. We devised a good piece of dance that did look very effective. It had some moves it in that were trickier than others giving it a good variety. If we could do it again I think we might have picked a faster piece of music because at points we did struggle to keep the dance looking slick using such slow movements.
We then had to teach this routine to the rest of the people in our class. This went very well and everyone seemed to enjoy learning a new style of dance that they perhaps aren’t as strong in. when we performed it as a whole group and it did look very effective. We filmed this teaching process and the final performance for evidence.
We also had to learn the other dance styles that were jazz orientated. This was really good fun. I especially enjoyed learning the rock and roll style jazz because I have never tried this dance style before and I like how fast paced it is. The lyrical jazz was harder for me to pick up because it is more contemporary but I loved the dance. It was so pretty and flowing and great fun to try out.
