Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

• Develop basic jazz dance skills and kinesthetic awareness in jazz dance technique.
• Identify and apply the principles of jazz dance technique and vocabulary.
• Explore and appreciate jazz dance as an art form.

• Attendance, participation, and effort
• Demonstrate knowledge and skills in beginning jazz dance technique.
• Written and/or practical evaluation
• Paper or project on jazz dance.

Fundamental Principles of Jazz Dance Technique:
Correct alignment
Turnout and parallel positions of the legs and feet
Body and arm positions
Jazz dance vocabulary
Safe and efficient dance techniques
Jazz Dance Class, beginning level:
Warm-up
Axial movements
Isolations
Ballet based movements: plies, battements, rond de jambe
Floor work
Stretches
Connecting movements
Jazz walks
Jazz turns
Jazz jumps
Dance combinations
Structure of jazz dance class
Dance class etiquette
Jazz Dance Aesthetics:
Energy and dynamics of movement
Rhythmic variations and syncopation
Spatial awareness
Awareness of jazz dance styles
COMPETENCIES/SKILLS:
Demonstrate correct technique and appropriate skills in beginning jazz dance steps and combinations:
Warm-up sequences
Plie sequences
Battements
Isolations
Floor work
Connecting steps
Jazz walks
Jazz turns
Jazz jumps
Traveling combinations
Dance combinations
Demonstrate jazz dance steps and combinations with variations in rhythm, dynamics, levels, and direction.
Demonstrate improved control, strength, coordination, and flexibility in jazz dance.
Demonstrate ability to learn, execute, and retain jazz dance steps and combinations from visual, aural, and kinesthetic cues.
Demonstrate ability to reverse combinations.
Examine and articulate ideas about a dance performance.
Present a paper or report on jazz dance.