"We're doing a jazz combo today"
The class was mostly excited about this except for someone who muttered "Jazz dance is Dead" I turned to the class and asked who said it. No one answered. "I don't mind you having an opinion, I'd just like to know why you think Jazz dance is dead?" Again, no one answered. "OK, here's the thing" I said "You made that statement for one of two reasons. You wanted to be quietly controversial around your friends, or you don't think Jazz has anything to offer you. Either way, just have the courage to stand by your statement if you believe it, let's start." We went through the usual half hour warm, put on shoes and went across-the-floor with challenging technical exercises and complex turn combos. The fiery jazz combo I did was so athletic and technical that the students had to fight to do it, but they loved. So, we lay on the floor, drenched in sweat, exhausted yet exhilerated at how amazing our bodies are in motion. I crawled off the floor and turned the music down, thanking the class for an amazing connection. People grabbed their bags and headed.
A dancer came over and quietly said "I'm sorry" I turned around. "I said Jazz was dead."
"Did you enjoy my class?"
"Yes, it kicked my ass."
I laughed, "What do you mean?"
"Most commericial classes don't do warm and never any across the floor, so I really got warm and the across the floor humbled me. The combo was so much fun and challenging, it felt Great!!!"
I gave the dancer a hug.
"Thanks for saying that, but lets have a conversation on it. What made you think Jazz is dead?
"Well...because everything contemporary now and people don't really need to do Jazz anymore."
"Ah" I said, "Ok, tell me how many contemporary dances you've seen online"
"Like, SO many, it's all you really see besides, heels or body dancing"
"You're right. There's a lot of it online. Now I'm gonna list some people and you tell me which one uses contemporary on their tour and if they did, how much"
"Taylor Swift, Pink, Beyonce, Rosalia, Dua Lipa, Usher, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, Troye Sivan, Lauv, lets starrt with those. How many of them use contemporary on their tours, I would even say in their videos online?"
The dancer though for a second. "Oh wow, I can only think of 1, the rest were like...like"
"Jazz?" I smiled.
The dancer smiled back, and said "Jazz isn't dead"
"No it's not." I said.
Jazz is not dead. If anything, it's the standard movement for most tours, broadway, commercials, TV shows and movies
So dancers, I know contemporary is current and cool. I love contemporary and teach it occasionally.
If you undervalue Jazz roots, training and contribution in the world of dance, you undervalue yourself.
Jazz is my thing, my soul, my love. Come take class sometime and you'll see why the dancers in my testimonials section are working with most of the celebrities we just listed.
Because of Jazz.
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