Beginning Jazz Dance

Beginning Jazz Dance provides students with the context and the basic instruction they need in order to learn beginning jazz dance techniques and become more knowledgeable dancers. Accompanying online resources include 55 photos and 125 video clips showing basic jazz dance technique.

Beginning Jazz Dance is the perfect resource for helping students gain a strong foundation of beginning jazz dance techniques. Written by jazz dance choreographer and professor James Robey, this text prepares students to have a successful experience in a beginning jazz dance technique course. It introduces students to the history, artists, significant works, styles, and aesthetics of the genre so they understand dance as a performing art.

Beginning Jazz Dance features 80 photos accompanied by descriptions that visually present the beginning jazz dance technique and dance concepts that will reinforce and extend classroom learning. It also has related online resources that include 55 photos and 125 video clips of basic jazz dance technique. Students can access these photos and videos at any time for their study or practice and will benefit from the wealth of other resources including assignments, worksheets, glossary terms with and without definitions, interactive chapter quizzes, and web links to help students develop their basic knowledge and skills.

Through the text, students learn these aspects of jazz dance:

• The core concepts of jazz dance, the value of studying jazz dance, and class expectations
• The structure of a jazz dance class, the roles of everyone in the studio, and how to be physically and mentally prepared for class
• Tips on injury prevention, nutrition guidelines, and basic anatomy and kinesiology as applied to movement in jazz dance
• Basic body alignment and positions in jazz dance
• Jazz walks, kicks, turns, leaps, and floor work

Beginning Jazz Dance provides students with the context, background information, and basic instruction they need in order to understand the genre and appreciate jazz dance as a performing art. This text and companion online resource is ideal for dance majors, dance minors, and general education students enrolled in beginning jazz dance technique courses. It is also suitable for students in performing arts and magnet schools and high school dance programs.

Beginning Jazz Dance is a part of Human Kinetics’ Interactive Dance Series. The series includes resources for ballet, modern, tap, jazz, musical theater, and hip-hop dance that support introductory dance technique courses taught through dance, physical education, and fine arts departments. Each student-friendly text has related online learning tools including video clips of dance instruction, assignments, and activities. The Interactive Dance Series offers students a collection of guides to learning, performing, and viewing dance.

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