What Is Authentic Jazz Dancing?

History: Grounded in vintage videos, the modern revival of "Authentic Jazz" dancing includes many forms of solo dancing, such as various line dances, Charleston and Black Bottom.

How it works: Authentic Jazz is an encompassing term for dancing that relies on a heavy association between Swing Era music and improvisation within a frame of specific traditional dance steps. Such steps include pieces from tap routines, such as "Half Breaks" or innovative eight count pieces of choreography such as "Boogie Backs," "Tackie Annies," "Fish Tails," "Fall Off the Log" and "Peckin,'" to name a few.

Solo Charleston is an energetic unpartnered dance style focusing on syncopated 8-count rhythms and variations on a basic pattern. Solo Charleston is typically danced to music of the early swing era, from 1915 - 1930's, and many individual steps are borrowed from Flappers, performers, and tap dancers of the swing era.

Black Bottom is a slower form of solo dancing, which became wildly popular by 1927. Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, this performance dance was known for its sensuality, characterized suggestive arm and leg movements to blues music.

Vernacular Jazz Line Dances: There are many swing line dances, vintage and modern, performed by dancers today. These famous Vernacular Jazz routines from the 20's and 30's include The Big Apple, Tranky Doo, The Shim Sham (multiple versions), and have been recreated from old video clips. The Jitterbug Stroll and the Madison are examples of modern swing line dances that use Vernacular Jazz steps in a repeating pattern.

Why you should learn Vernacular Jazz: Solo dancing enhances your ability to balance, improvise, and be musical while dancing. Line dances give you a framework for learning, while also sharing and preserving part of America's dance history.