Popular culture is the mainstream beliefs, traditions and values practiced by many and accepted by the masses. A large part of this culture that is prominent in today’s life is dance, and it is included in our everyday life, even for people not associated with the dance community. For example, dance in popular culture is utilised in music videos, movies and television shows (for example; reality and talent shows, such as ‘Dance moms’ and ‘So you think you can dance’), social media, and there has been a rise of audience members for dance performances. Especially the performances for styles of dance such as contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, ballroom and latin, as they are the most significant in popular culture and are enjoyed by the masses. The dance …show more content…
This style was very different to the modern jazz dance we observe today, and they used isolations and body movements that were indicative of their culture. This form of dance spread throughout America in the 1900s, mostly only practiced by black Americans that passed the form of dance through generations. As the dance was passed down generations, it started to evolve with the historical and social context changing. This developed style of dance gained popularity throughout the masses of America in the 1930s and 1940s. At first, the style involved the dances such as the Charleston, Jitterbug, Boogie Woogie, and swing, and performed to jazz music, but nowadays the jazz style involves more pop and upbeat music as well as fast-paced dance moves, improvisation and musical theatre, and the foundation is based on a balletic technique. A large contributor to the evolution of jazz dance was Joe Frisco, in the vaudeville era.. He incorporated a theatrical aspect into jazz dancing, as well as a stand up comedy act, and his dances consisted of camel walks, turns, shuffles and isolations, which are large aspects of jazz dance in popular culture. Another influential person nicknamed the “father of jazz dance” was Jack Cole. He was a choreographer and theatre director in the early 1900s, so his style of dance included a huge theatrical aspect, which shaped jazz dance …show more content…
It includes music, dance, technology, hobbies, past-times, food, etc. In contemporary society, popular culture is very prominent, as it is shown through the media (news, television, cinema, social media, technology, etc.), and is appreciated as well as utilized in every day life by the majority of the population. Jazz dance is definitely a part of popular culture, as it is one of the most popular dance styles performed around the world. It came to the spotlight among the majority in the 1930s, as it included aspects that were enjoyed by the population, such as upbeat movements, jazz music and musical theatre, all that were making a rise in popular culture. It has also been included into media such as TV shows, music videos and movies that were very successful, which is a large indicator that jazz dance is in popular culture. For example, in the reality shows ‘dance moms’, ‘so you think you can dance’, jazz dance is regular performed, and thoroughly enjoyed by the audience. Also, jazz dance is incorporated into many music videos, including the videos of the artists Beyonce, Bruno Mars and Jennifer Lopez. The connection with the media and the population, such as with the reality TV shows and music videos mentioned above, has advertised jazz dance, spread it throughout the world and incorporated it into pop culture. Celebrities in the media contribute to a great
Popular dances like “crank that Soulja Boy” and “teach me how to dougie” wouldn’t exist today if it weren’t for the dance styles of the 1920’s. The 1920’s breathed new life into dancing due to prohibition and the rise of jazz in popularity. Before the 1920’s, dancing was seen as a formal event with but because of movies, dancing became more casual and gone were the restrictions of the early 1900’s. The dances in the 1920’s brought new styles and new rhythms to a variety of dance floors.
Throughout history, different types of music have been a distinguishing characteristic of varying cultures. One genre of music that harbors such cultural and historical significance is jazz. Jazz originated between the late 1800s and the early 1900s, right here in the United States. Jazz was known for incorporating African American forms of music with that of European music. It was seen as a cultural movement, and interestingly enough, the emergence of jazz coincided with the Harlem Renaissance.
Ramsay, B. (2000). Dance theory, sociology, and aesthetics. Dance Research Journal, 32(1), 125-131. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1478286
Jazz dance today is presented in many different forms. Jazz history and famous jazz dancers and choreographers have helped influenced what we know today, as jazz dance. It is incorporated in an assortment of styles including, hip hop and Broadway, Jazz dance today has its own movement, while there trendy modern types of jazz, traditional jazz never goes out of style. Over the years, jazz dance has become popular in the media and can be found in music videos, television, movies, and commercials. Jazz dance is always changing with the time periods, and can be found in social dance, musical theater, dance schools, and night clubs.
Jazz culture to be exact, is the topic at hand. Jazz culture expands throughout many genres and is expressed in many ways. The many genres of jazz are Big Band, jazz funk, modern jazz, smooth jazz, Latin jazz, and jazz fusion. Each of these comes with its own unique sound and origin. Latin jazz, for example, employs rhythms from both African and Hispanic backgrounds. The sound is particularly up tempo with divided eight beat patterns. Jazz artists who have portrayed these qualities of jazz to the world are at the very core of its culture. Many people who are in places of power in this society or are held in some form of esteem have had some exposure to the arts, whether it is classical or jazz. This is due to a desire to be culturally diverse which is a quality held in high esteem in regards to a more worldly point-of-view. There are many aspects of Jazz music that could be approached, but there is one point in particular that must be expressed in detail. The influence on the genre ...
Jazz is a treasure to American culture, which originally came from New Orleans of South part of America in 19th century. It’s a special music because it contains changeable rhythm and improvisational performance. But what makes jazz so special in 1920s is that Jazz could not only be performed by an individual but also could be performed by a group of people. This music performance style shows important things about American society and culture itself.
... social dance. Many people in today’s society enjoy social; dancing. Chapter eleven dance concert, properly planning and establishing a dance concert is of the utmost importance. The partnership with the lighting designer usually takes priority over all other factors. One of the most important issues concerning customers has to do with mobility. The dancer must be able to move comfortably in the costume. The task of producing a dance concert is an overwhelming and tiring one. Chapter twelve dance in education and career in dance, many dance educators present the argument that teaching and learning dance as an art form is obviously absent from the American student education. There has always been and always will be people who have a love, desire, and passion to instruct and learn the art of dance, will ensure an important place for dance in higher education.
The rise of jazz has been one of the most revolutionary changes of all time in terms of musical culture. Jazz grew out of the blues, a genre of music largely occupied by African-American musicians and characterized by deep solo voices vocalizing along with a guitar, singing about loneliness and oppression. Jazz reached its peak popularity in the 1920’s, also known as the “roaring twenties” or the “Jazz Age.” The newly-created prohibition law meant that people had to go out and find secret “speakeasies” to drink in. The rebellious, wild spirit of those who gathered at these social drinking events inspired them to dance. And a new kind of dancing was called for, something loud, exhilarating, and fun. Thus, jazz, with all its loud trumpets and saxophones blaring alongside its silky smooth voices, was born. It wasn’t just a style of music, it was a lifestyle. Because of jazz, America saw African-American musicians rise to fame for the first time. Legends such as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, and Dizzy Gillespie were all born in the intoxicating atmo...
Jazz became popular during the 1920s and was developed from Blues and Ragtime. The 1920s was nicknamed The Roaring Twenties or the Jazz age because it was a time where many traditonal moral standards were not followed and people indulged in new danicng and dressing styles. Jazz is still important to us today but according to Nielsen‘s 2014 Year-End Report, jazz is continuing to fall out of favor with American listeners and has tied with classical music as the least-consumed music in the U.S., after children’s
As it grew in influence and popularity, Jazz brought many young people together. It was such a social movement it brought mixed young people together to dance “The Charleston, The Cakewalk, The Black Bottom, The Flea Hop.” Since Jazz was such a influential and persuasive musical style. It had its time as a great social leveler and unifier. It brought together African Americans and Americans, in a love of fast, rhythmic music, which was multiplied through the radio and the recording industry. “What a crowd! All classes and colors met face to face, ultra aristocrats, bourgeois, communists, park avenue galore, publishers, broadway celebs, and harlemites giving each other the once over.” Jazz became attractively to popular Jazz Bands, it traveled widely playing all kinds of venues from restaurants, to dance halls, and even nightclubs. One of the many best renowned nightclubs would have to be the Cotton Club its where hollywood, paris and broadway rubbed elbows, people who came from all over the United States wanted to experience what was going on Harlem in the
The swing style was greatly influenced by jazz and also a multitude of popular dances from before it’s time, for example the Black Bottom, Big Apple and the Turkey Trot. The style of Swing dancing is named after the type of jazz music that swing dancing is traditionally danced too. Swing dancing is said to have been created at a club called the Savoy Ballroom. The Savoy Ballroom was a block-long dancehall in New York City and was so popular that it was frequented by many of the greatest dancers of the 1920’s and 30’s such as “Shorty George” Snowden. The Savoy was so large that it had 2 bands playing Jazz at all times, one on either end of the dance floor. Another thing that made the Savoy Ballroom so unique is it was one of the few places at that time that were desegregated, so the black and whites were dancing in the same room. A typical night at the Savoy ballroom would entail the patrons starting the evening doing line dances then pairing up according to ability and continuing to dance the night away in pairs. Usually the better dancers would gather, dance together, and try new moves in one corner of the dance floor known as the “cat’s corner.”
Bollywood film has opened the gates to Bollywood dance, creating a popular style that spread throughout the world. This style would not have been able to spread so quickly if it not had been for the familiar themes and culture found in the genre. Because of this diverse make-up, Bollywood dance is being questioned, for it cannot be seen as traditional Indian dance if it is made up of so many different cultures and styles. Due to the creation from a wide assortment of cultures and practices, Bollywood dance has been the subject of a controversy focusing on its authenticity. Although it is not pure Indian movements, it has become the face of Indian dance due to accessibility and familiarity.
Although jazz isn’t as popular as it once was, there are still people who enjoy listening to jazz and musicians that strive to learn the genre. In conclusion, the evidence is overwhelming that jazz has had a large impact on American culture. The birth of jazz started with African Americans and has lasted throughout the years because of African Americans. Events such as the Great Migration and Harlem Renaissance allowed for artists such as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington to spread the popularity of jazz. Jazz was able to change how Americans viewed African Americans and their culture and essentially invited Americans into their culture and shape America to where it is today.
The term ‘popular culture’ is a particularly difficult one to define. The word ‘culture’ alone is, according to Ray Williams, “one of the two or three most complicated words in the English language” (Storey; 2006, 1). Popular culture must also be a term that is equally hard to define. Popular culture is an ambiguous phrase in cultural theory. In its simplest form: popular culture can be seen as the culture of the working class and minority cultures such as; folk and youth culture.(Brooker; 2003).
Popular culture embodies the beliefs, ideas, perspectives, attitudes, and images of various cultures. Popular culture is heavily influenced by mass media, key celebrity figures, movies and related entertainment, as well as sports and news. However, in the past decade, the Internet and social media have become a significant influence on pop culture. Social Media influences what music we listen to. In the past, people used to listen to songs that had meaning behind them, and it was because they personally enjoyed the music.