The Beginning of Jazz Dance

The history of jazz dance started in Africa though many believe that jazz dance originated in the United States.

      The birthplace of jazz has various origins: New Orleans, St. Louis, Memphis and Kansas City are just a few. But New Orleans was and still remainders a main jazz center.

     With the growing domination of other forms of entertainment music, jazz dance evolved on Broadway into the new, smooth style that is taught today and known as Modern Jazz. The performance style of jazz dance was popularized to a large extent by Bob Fosses work, which is exemplified by Broadway shows such as Chicago, Cabaret, Damn Yankees, and The Pajama Game.

For further more information about Jazz check out:

http://www.dancelessons.net/dance_history/jazz_dance_history.html

http://www.aboutdanceschools.com/education/history/jazzdance.asp