Old school jazz dance

Old school jazz dance (also known as UK jazz dance) refers to the improvised dancing style that originated in the UK in the 1970s. The style grew in clubs in the UK, mainly in London and in northern cities, with the sounds of bebop, Afro-Cuban jazz, fusion, swing and other Latin-influenced jazz and funk.

History

It predates hip hop and breakdancing – the American dance culture, which did not reach the U.K. shores until 1982–1983. Jazz dancing has similarities to breakdancing, but essentially it is not the same.

It started in heart of second generation African Caribbean-African homes and community venue preceding the takeoff in the heart of cities, nightclubs and discos all over the country. Built on the dance steps and spirit of celebration of their first generation (1950s, 1960s) immigrant parents; who were connoisseur record collectors; top-dancers and fashion icons who pioneered the underground live music and sound system scene. Second generation were encouraged in early learning (by first-generation parents) to value improvising to their own freestyle music of their day modern and swing jazz; blues; ska; RnB; calypso; soul; rocksteady; rock 'n' roll; reggae; gospel; country 'n' western.

Jazz dance

Jazz dance is shared by a large range of dance styles. Before the 1950s, jazz dance relating to dance styles that originated from African American vernacular dance. Jazz dance was an integral part of jazz until the end of the swing era in the late 1940s. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance — modern jazz dance — emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance. Every individual style of jazz dance has roots traceable to one of these two distinct origins. Jazz was a big hit in the early '50s and it is still a well-loved style of dance all over the world.

History