Jazz Dance is a style of dance with roots in African-American culture, with a strong connection to African dance and rhythms. This style first came to the United States through the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Over time, it has changed through influence from European dance aesthetics in addition to a variety of other cultural influences through the years, as trends and preferences change. The movement itself has a very close relationship with music and rhythm. It has a low center of gravity that is constantly shifting. It reflects the emotion of the dancers and their relationship to the groove. Movements often alternate between slow and fast, fluid and sharp, and are often
This class will be very different from other dance classes. We will use videos, conversation, and movement to explore the history and essential qualities of jazz dance.
Who is this class for? Everyone! Whether you have never taken a dance class before or are an experienced dancer, whether you prefer ecstatic dance and free-flowing movement or have only ever experienced specific choreography, and no matter your age, size, shape, or previous knowledge of anything related to jazz dance — There’s something for everyone here.
More about the instructor:
Meredith is a dancer, vocalist, health coach, and advocate of self-directed education. Her first exposure to dance was through vernacular jazz styles such as hip-hop dance, street jazz, and funk, which she learned through dancing socially. She found she loved branching out into other forms of dance, and spent years experimenting with experiences in rhythm tap, West African, Bhangra, modern, ballet, and Middle Eastern dance. She has taken classes through the National Dance Education Organization’s Online Professional Development Institute in order to gain more skills to assist with teaching others. Her passion is advocating for historically-informed jazz dance, and she believes that vernacular jazz dance holds value and is deserving of respect equal to that paid to other dance forms. She hopes to do her part in holding up jazz greats whose stories have been forgotten over the years. She’s also still secretly hoping that there will be a resurgence of The Fly Girls.
AT FLOOR POLISH’S NEW LOCATION
- Event is six consecutive Sundays, 10am to 11am, March 15th through April 19th
- Location: Floor Polish Dance + Fitness (NEW SPACE AT 930 N. Stone Ave, Tucson AZ 85705)
- $75 for all six weeks.
- Please contact hello@meredith.dance for questions.
For questions, please contact Meredith at hello@meredith.dance.