| Thanks to popular movies like Chicago, the dance | | | | body is being bent to pretzel shapes. Most of the |
| form known as jazz is once again coming into the | | | | time, the conventional tights and leotard getup can |
| popular consciousness. Where previously only | | | | be complemented with jazz pants in various lengths, |
| professional dancers engaged in the vibrant, energetic | | | | loose camisoles and shirts, leg warmers and the |
| and fun dance form, average individuals are now also | | | | appropriate jazz footwear (shoes, sneakers or |
| enrolling in beginner jazz classes. Even if you have no | | | | boots). |
| prior dance training, you can still enjoy the benefits of | | | | During classes, you will enjoy hearing many types of |
| jazz in both its dance and musical forms. If you have | | | | jazz music as well as generous doses of hip-hop, |
| a good background in ballet, then you have an edge | | | | ballet and show tunes. This is because jazz dance |
| over the other students. Then again, when it comes | | | | allows for the melding of many dance and music |
| to learning a new dance in an amateur environment, | | | | forms and still come off as jazz. You will start with |
| who wants to compete when you can have fun? | | | | warm-up exercises and then follow with stretching, |
| Plus, your jazz dance movements need not | | | | isolation and suspension movements. You will be |
| necessarily follow your fellow students' actions, | | | | taught the basic turns of jazz like piques, pirouettes |
| particularly during freestyle dancing. | | | | and chaines as well as a few leaps like grande jetes |
| After all, jazz dancing showcases the dancer's sense | | | | and tour jetes. Of course, you must learn to perform |
| of individuality, originality and style instead of too | | | | the so-called jazz walk. |
| much emphasis on conformity. Your teacher will | | | | Once you have learned the basics, you will be |
| teach the basic dance moves as well as the | | | | encouraged to add your own style to the |
| choreography of specific dances, but you can often | | | | movements and, hence, contribute to the evolution |
| stamp your own style into them. Attire is very | | | | of jazz as a dace style. Indeed, your journey in jazz |
| important as you want the clothes and the footwear | | | | will be marked by laughter, love and life, just like the |
| to allow comfortable movements even when your | | | | dance itself. |