UK Jazz
Similarly to the evolution of house dancing, UK Jazz Dance is fusion of many different style: Funk, Soul, Mambo, Swing, Ballet, Contemporary, and Hip Hop, usually danced to Jazz music. The popularity of UK Jazz peaked in 1986. There were several legendary Jazz events like “Dingwalls” and “The Wag”. Where DJ started playing super fast Jazz track, which challenged dancers to keep up with fast footwork. UK Jazz style was introduced to Japan in 1991. A TV commercial featuring “Brothers in Jazz” –the legendary UK Jazz group caught the eyes of street dancers in Japan. Because of music they dance to and its difficulty, the UK Jazz style has not been so widespread as much as house and hip hop, there have been constant UK Jazz party in Tokyo.
The texts below are from the website “JazzCotech Dancers”
“Street Fusion Jazz Dance was born at a time when many clubs turned away from Disco, Funk and Jazz in order to “move with the times” and remain commercially viable. Jazz and Funk clubs were driven underground and could be found in only a few pockets throughout the UK. In these underground haunts, new, Jazzier rhythms with Funk, Brazilian, Latin and Afro Cuban influences were discovered. As a result, Jazz Dancers were enabled to create their very own style of Dance, which would challenge their ability to change with the new rhythms and “follow” the music. In addition, Dancers explored their acrobatic capabilities in so-called drop moves as well as a variety of floor work, often mistaken for Break Dance.
Street Jazz Fusion Dance is a breathtaking mix of fast, intricate footwork, graceful spins and acrobatic floor moves. Using the music’s varying rhythm patterns, the Dance works on the Dancers’ creativity, their understanding of the music and their own energy. As such, the style is deeply rooted in clubs.
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