Modern jazz: origins, style and who it is for

Energetic, musical, expressive: modern jazz is one of the most popular dances, and one of the most complete for getting started.

Where modern jazz comes from

Born in the United States in the 20th century, modern jazz is a blend: it draws on African dance, jazz, musical theatre and ballet. From this meeting comes a style at once technical and free, carried by the music. It is a young dance compared with ballet, yet it already has a whole history, that of the Broadway stages, the great musicals and the choreographers who managed to marry academic rigour with popular energy.

A language born of several cultures

What makes modern jazz so alive is precisely this crossing of influences. To the grounding and rhythm of African dance are added the structure of ballet, the theatricality of the musical and the freedom of jazz. This diversity explains why the style has evolved so much: it has never stopped absorbing new music and new aesthetics over the decades, while keeping its recognisable identity.

What defines it

Isolations, changes of rhythm, floorwork, jumps and turns: modern jazz calls on the whole body. You work as much on technique as on interpretation, because the same choreography does not have the same colour depending on who dances it. It is a dance where you learn to "inhabit" the music, to play with the accents and the silences, to give character to the slightest movement. Technical precision is never an end in itself: it serves expression.

How a class unfolds

A modern jazz class usually begins with a full warm-up, followed by travelling steps that carry the body through space, then in-depth choreographic work. This choreography is taken up week after week until it becomes truly your own. It is this format, technique then interpretation over time, that makes the class so complete and so satisfying as the season goes on.

Who it is for

Almost everyone. Children find a lively, playful dance in it, teenagers a style close to their music, adults a complete and invigorating class. It is often the ideal way in for anyone hesitating to get started. Accessible without being easy, modern jazz gives everyone something to progress on at their own pace, from the curious beginner to the seasoned dancer looking to refine their interpretation.

Modern jazz, street jazz: what is the difference?

The two are sometimes confused. Modern jazz rests on a broad technical base, inherited from ballet and musical theatre, with strong interpretive work. Street jazz, for its part, leans more towards urban dance (groove, isolations, the energy of the street) while keeping the rigour of a real class. The two complement each other very well, and many students move happily from one to the other.

The tip: a ballet base helps a great deal

Modern jazz benefits from resting on the fundamentals of ballet: placement, musicality, carriage. To compare the disciplines, read "Which dance to choose". Fancy trying modern jazz? The first class is free.