Jazz dance is one of the most popular forms of dance. It has become one of the most popular dance styles in recent years, mainly due to its popularity on television shows, movies, music videos and commercials. People enjoy watching jazz dancers, as the dancing is fun and energetic. This style of dance is also becoming more popular with children!
What is Jazz?
The term “jazz” was first applied to a style of music and dance during World War I. However, jazz in a dance form originates from the vernacular dances of Africans when they were brought to the Americas on slave ships. This dance form developed alongside jazz music in New Orleans in the early 1900s.
Jazz dancing is a form of dance that showcases a dancer’s individual style and originality. Every jazz dancer interprets and executes moves and steps in their own way. This type of dancing is energetic and fun, consisting of unique moves, fancy footwork, big leaps and quick turns.
What are the Benefits?
As you can imagine there are unique benefits of jazz dance, especially for younger children. These benefits include being a great form of exercise, increasing coordination, developing creativity, and providing a healthy environment for socialization.
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Exercise
Jazz dance offers an improvised and energetic style of exercise that allows children to physically express themselves through a range of routines. With flowing movements similar to ballet, jazz dancers combine sharp turns, large leaps and quick footwork in a show of flexibility and grace. As you can imagine, all of these moves makes jazz dance an energetic and fun workout!
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Coordination
Coordination and balance are other skills that your children will learn as they participate in jazz dance. With the light-footed moves and lightning fast steps in jazz, your child will be developing poise and grace and better coordination and balance in no time!
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Creativity
Jazz classes usually involve pleasurable and cheerful melodies for which students try to execute free style movements. This can also help your child develop creativity and imagination. Jazz dance is different from many traditional dances in the sense that it promotes freedom of expression and individuality. Although anchored by certain basic steps, jazz dancers are free to improvise in their routines and express their emotions in time with accompanying music. This is certainly a dance style for the creative thinker.
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Socialization
Aside from learning the steps, getting your children into jazz dance as an after-school activity is a great way to instill appreciation of music and dance. Jazz dancing is also the perfect substitute activity for kids who don’t really like sports. These kids who do not participate in other sports often find it hard to find a group of friends who share a similar interest. If your child is not aggressive enough to join a sports team, then enrolling him or her to a jazz dance class will allow for a better socialization with other kids who share the same interest in dance.
The Omaha School of Music and Dance offers jazz classes for all ages! Additional information is available at https://omahaschoolofmusicanddance.com/jazz-dance-classes-kids-ages-6-9/.
We would also love to chat with you at 402-515-9639. We look forward to seeing you in class!
