Jazz Dance Research Paper

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Comparing and contrasting Jazz choreographers
There are a variety of dancing styles in the world today. Some jazz dances originated from the African American vernacular dances in the 1950s. Some jazz dances can be traced back to the Caribbean communities. Over time, jazz dance has evolved and become a sophisticated type of dance that requires intensive training to attain perfection. Today, modern jazz choreographers, define the art and the genre as it exists, however, the techniques and the artistry of these choreographers have been developed and born out of the countless generations of jazz dancers. The jazz metamorphosis is traceable from the slavery era, and has had the transformations to what we see on the stages today (Lewandoski, Eric, and Leslea Clark-Zinna).
The styles and approaches of different jazz choreographers differ. How these celebrity dancers come to fame has its own unique story, with some of them
developing from scratch while others become adept choreographers through mentorship and support. Jazz dance enjoys a wide variety of genres, but still exhibits a unique form and technique. There are many jazz choreography dancers today. Some of these choreographers include Britney Spears, Katherine Dunham, Lester Horton, Jack Cole and many others. Choreographers like Katherine Dunham, Lester Horton, and Jack Cole were some of the most famous choreographers of the 20th century. The styles and how these jazz choreographers came into fame is uniquely different, with some of them facing challenges in the industry; which almost brought their choreography career down. Katherine Dunham, Lester Horton, Jack Cole are a unique group, and this paper seeks to compare and contrast their styles, achievements, their intent, and the challenges they faced in their career.
Katherine Dunham
Katherine Dunham was an American choreographer and dancer in the better part of the 20th century. Besides being a dancer and choreographer, Katherine Dunham was one of the most successful dancers in America and Europe. This jazz choreographer directed her own company (Dance Company). Katherine Dunham was popularly referred to as matriarch and queen mother of black dance, attributing to her expertise and the art of perfection in her dancing moves. Katherine Dunham was an African American, who, against all odds, maintained her own dance company known as the Katherine Dunham Dance Company for over 30 years. This was the only black dance group at that time, with women marginalized and the environment not being too suitable for black people in America. During Katherine Dunham’s long dancing career, she choreographed over 90 individual dances. The leadership qualities exhibited by this choreographer coupled her excellent innovative skills saw her through the not so friendly business environment for black people at the time she was starting up.
Katherine’s career development
Born in 1909 in, a Chicago hospital, Katherine Dunham went through a turbulent childhood with her father, who was a descendant of the slaves from West Africa, Mr. Albert Millard Dunham. She lost her mother when she was only three years old. In high school, Catherine Dunham developed an interest in dancing and writing, and joining Terpsichorean Club where she learnt skills that would later drive her to fame. She borrowed ideas from Jaques-Dalcroze and Rudolf von Laban, and at the age of 15, she opened her own private dance mainly targeting young children (Roscher et al). Her later life saw her go through Chicago University, and lived in several Caribbean countries in her quest to develop her career. She won several awards including travel fellowships from Julius Rosenwald to carry out a study on the ethnographic dance of the Caribbean people. At this point in time, Katherine Dunham faced minimum challenges in her career, being a social activist and educator besides her regular dance career. She visited, lived, and performed in Haiti, Brazil, and France among the many countries.
Lester Horton
Loster Horton was in 1906 in Indianapolis, Indiana. His career development originated from his interest in tribal dances, which fascinated him at a very young age. He was interested in tribal studies, where he studied Iroquois and Red River Indians and later Penobscot and Ojibway tribes. For a period of two years, Lester Horton studied ballet. The performance by the Denishawn company rejuvenated his desire of becoming an outstanding jazz choreographer. His performance in 1929 (The Song of Hiawatha), in California, rejuvenated his psyche to become a famous choreographer and dancer. His choice to work in California instead of New York is because California was believed to be the center of modern dance. Lester Horton’s career development and style
He formed his own company, Lester Horton Dancers, in 1932. Over time, Lester’s company evolved and grew. He choreographed various musicals in an effort to earn money to pay for school. He developed his own unique approaches to dancing, which incorporated a wide continuum of ethnical elements including Japanese arm gestures, head and hands, Native American Folk Dance, and Afro-Caribbean elements. The uniqueness of his style earned him a competitive advantage and popularity to the extent that this dance was named after him; the Horton Technique (Roscher et al). This style emphasizes movements in all parts of the body. In a nutshell, Horton’s style incorporates primitive and modern dancing styles. Jack Cole
Jack Cole appeared in the jazz dance choreography, in 1930. Despite the fact that he had studied ballet earlier on, he was also entranced by the Asian influences, where he adopted Asian choreography and costuming. A few years later, Jack Cole quit modern dance for a commercial dance career, where he danced in nightclubs. In his commercial dancing career, Jack Cole performed with Alice Dudley, Florence Lessing, and Anna Austin. The trajectory of his dancing career was a unique one since there had not been any American choreographer who had taken that path in his/her career.
Jack Cole’s career development and style
Theatrical jazz dance is Jack Cole’s idea since he developed jazz ethnic ballet which is the most admired dancing styles in today’s entertainment industry including musicals, films, television commercials, nightclub revues, and many music videos.
Jack Cole invented a dancing style that is acrobatic and angular in nature. His style of dance preferred a small number of dancers rather than larger groups as in other dancing styles (Lewandoski, Eric, and Leslea Clark-Zinna). His prowess and unique style saw him climb the entertainment ladder, especially in Hollywood where he organized dancing training workshops. Jack Cole had many memorable choreographic highlights, but the most memorable one was Diamonds are a Girl 's Best Friend. This choreographic highlight has been echoed by many jazz choreographic dancers like Madonna, who are today’s queens of the entertainment industry. Jack Cole has mentored many other dancers like Gwen Verdon. Gwen Verdon is one of the most celebrated dancers in the entertainment industry
today.

References
Lewandoski, Eric, and Leslea Clark-Zinna. Learn Jazz Step-by-Step. Roseland, NJ:
Distributed by Inspired Distribution, 2006.
Roscher, Melody, Kyle Martin, Henry Joost, Jody L. Lipes, Jerome Robbins, Ellen Bar, Sean Suozzi, Anna Farrell, Matthew Wolf, and Robert Prince. Ny Export, Opus Jazz. Brooklyn,
NY: Factory 25, 2010.
Fosse, Bob, Robert A. Aurthur, Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange, Daniel Melnick, Ann Reinking, Leland Palmer, Cliff Gorman, Ben Vereen, Erzsebet Foldi, John Lithgow, Giuseppe Rotunno, Philip Rosenberg, Alan Heim, Ralph Burns, and Stanley Lebowsky. All That Jazz. Beverly
Hills, Calif: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2003.