Jazz Dance Styles and Steps for Fun
by
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The other day a friend of mine called and said, “Oh, do I miss your classes. They were fun, energizing, and we covered such a variety of jazz styles. If only I hadn’t moved to Massachusetts I could take them again — dance and have fun.” Well, that’s what this book is all about.
Each chapter stresses a slightly different aspect: the first chapter is an introduction to jazz and fitness, preparing to dance, and diet. Then there are warming-up and cooling-down movements with hints on execution. Each of the following chapters presents a different jazz style with photos and a routine at the beginning of the chapter to help you retain the content. Then come clear explanations of all the steps and combinations to be found in the routine. Photos will help you to choose your first routine and style and learn it more easily. Each routine is followed by an Aerobic Sequence using arm movements from the routine, and by a short discography. Each chapter ends with Addenda containing relevant information on the particular style of jazz. You’ll find lots of information on jazz dance, its background, choreographers, trends, and the influence that music, Broadway shows, personalities and other dance forms have had on it, as well as a Bibliography for each jazz style covered in the book. You’ll finish the book with a better comprehension, both mentally and physically, of the jazz styles that went into this melting pot, American Jazz Dance. And you’ll have acquired grace, stamina, coordination and fitness through the excellent workouts in various styles of jazz with a contemporary flair.
The Symbols indicating the level of difficulty of each step, as explained at the end of the Introduction, and the photographs assist the reader in choosing the style and step to learn first.
You, the reader, decide how to use the book: either proceed from the beginning to the end; or choose a favorite style and gradually learn that entire chapter; or look at the Symbols for level of difficulty and learn all the easiest steps first, or learn the Jogging Sequence and aerobic variation of each step if that is your prime interest.
I wish to thank my family and friends for their support and cooperation while I was writing this book. I am especially thankful to Mary Casmus and Joseph Kress for proofing and copyediting the rough drafts and for their time and suggestions; also Jerry Ames for the ready availability of a place at which to proof the text; my sister Denise for scanning, layout and final proofing; Clotilde and Enia for their assistance with the photographs; and our cats Cleo and Joujou for their cooperation (most of the time). The photographs are of D. Andreu, H. Andreu, Samuel Baptiste, Claudia Charles, Cassendra Dume, Yensy Fernandez, Jayson Fields, Christina Hardin, Jackson Jocelyn, Joseph Kress, Jung-Hung Ku, Adonna Lewis, Roosevelt Martinez, Chiranjib Nath, Vasilios Pippis, Arelah Thompson, Kendra Waithe, and Ru Yang. I appreciate my many students’ effort and discipline and obvious enjoyment of dancing the steps, jazz routines and warmups, and thank my students at Stuyvesant High School Adult Education and at New York Technical College and Mr. David Cory, Director of Small World Studios, for permission to take photographs. Photographs are by Clotilde, Enia and H. Andreu. Permission to use the sheet music cover of “Those Good Old Days” was given by Charles Hanson Educational Music and Books; permission to use THE LINDY HOP by Miguel Covarrubias is by courtesy of The Philadelphia Museum of Art. The libraries at Brooklyn College, New York City Technical College and The Library of Performing Arts at Lincoln Center are also to be thanked for facilitating my research for this book.
The reader will find the text of’ this book clearly written so that all exercises, steps, and routines may be practiced and enjoyed. The notes, practice hints and photos should provide the reader with a good background for toning up physically and getting a historic perspective.
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About the Book
This book is a "must have" for dance lovers, with routines in nine different jazz styles. In JAZZ DANCE STYLES AND STEPS FOR FUN, all the steps are choreographed to suit the particular jazz style of that chapter. By the time you complete the book you'll understand the growth of American jazz dance and the various influences on its development. A finalist in ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Awards, 2003.
5-STAR review, "an excellent and thoroughly 'user friendly' self-help resource" — Midwest Book Review.
5-STAR review, "healthy avenue for fun and exercise through excellent workouts in jazz" — ForeWordreviews.com.
About the Author
Helene Andreu, dancer, teacher, and choreographer, received her training at numerous excellent schools in New York, including the School of American Ballet.
She received an M.A. in Dance Education from Columbia University, several licenses in Dance from the New York City Board of Education – for High School, Junior High School, Early Childhood, and Community Centers, and has taught all forms of dance: ballet, tap, jazz, modern, folk, and ethnic to varied ages - 2-year-olds through senior citizens, in private studios, after school centers, settlement houses, Adult Education Centers, and colleges, including over 20 years at New York City College of Technology.
She has performed and choreographed for summer stock and Off-Broadway musicals, operas, and operettas.
She is the author of: DANCE, MOVEMENT AND NUTRITION, 2006 (Award Finalist in the National Indie Excellence 2007 Book Awards); JAZZ DANCE STYLES AND STEPS FOR FUN, 2003 (5-star review from both Midwest Book Review and ForeWordreviews.com); AEROBIC RAZZMATAZZ, 2000 (“one of 20 exciting and illuminating dance finds” – Dance Spirit Magazine); and JAZZ DANCE: AN ADULT BEGINNER’S GUIDE, 1983.