jazz dance

noun

plural jazz dances

1

: any of numerous African American social dances of the early twentieth century (such as the Lindy or jitterbug) accompanied by jazz music

In 1925, she [Josephine Baker] … introduced French audiences to the Charleston, a jazz dance named after the town in South Carolina where it first originated.

—Rebecca Rosman

That moment … encapsulates much of what has been at the heart of her dance career: Joyfully embodying the legacy of Black vernacular dance in America, from early jazz dances to … hip hop.

—Lauren Wingenroth

2

: choreographed solo or ensemble dancing that incorporates techniques from earlier jazz dances often with those of other and related styles of dance (such as ballet or hip-hop)

Countless figures are responsible for moving jazz dance out of the social dance halls of the early twentieth century and into dance studios and onto stages.

—Lindsay Guarino and Wendy Oliver

Trends in contemporary jazz reflect the tradition in jazz dance of constantly evolving stylistically.

—Melanie George

Jazz dance … is shaped by the dancer's conversational relationship to music, wherein the dancer is often considered a musician. Creative ideas and movements arise from jazz music structure and its rhythmic impulse, particularly music that swings.

—Jill Flanders Crosby and Michèle Moss

They create and present innovative jazz dance choreography, often redefining and expanding the very definition of jazz dance, and bring this invaluable American art form to audiences …

—Bob Sloan

called also jazz

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined at sense 1