Street jazz: urban dance, taken seriously

Between studio dance and the street, street jazz has found its place. Energetic and accessible, it is often the way teenagers come into dance.

Where street jazz comes from

Street jazz draws on urban dances (hip-hop, funk, groove) while keeping the structure of a real technical class. You find the energy of the street in it, but worked, precise, choreographed.

Born from the dialogue between jazz dance and urban cultures, street jazz has established itself as a style in its own right, very much present in music videos and modern musicals. It keeps the groove and the attitude of street dances but organises them within a teaching framework: warm-up, gradual learning, a structured routine. It is this blend of raw energy and rigour that makes it so appealing.

What you work on

Isolations, grounding into the floor, accents on the music: street jazz teaches you to inhabit every beat. The routine takes up a good half of the class, enough to make quick progress and enjoy yourself.

Isolations, which involve moving one part of the body while keeping the rest still, develop a very fine body awareness. Grounding teaches you to dance from the floor, with weight and presence. And working the accents, those beats you underline in the music, gives the style its characteristic punch. You gain a musicality and an assurance that show through in the other dances too.

A demanding discipline beneath its relaxed air

Street jazz is sometimes thought to be 'easier' than ballet because it looks free and relaxed. That is an illusion. Behind the apparent spontaneity lie a rhythmic precision, a control of the body and a memory for routines that are every bit as demanding. The style calls for repetition, listening and rigour; it simply dresses them in an energy that makes you want to come back.

The teenagers' way in

Close to their own music, direct and rewarding, street jazz is often the spark for teenagers. Many take to it, then branch out towards modern jazz or contemporary.

At an age when you might hesitate to step through a studio door, street jazz reassures: you dance to music you know, in a style you see everywhere. It is an ideal entry point, one that builds confidence and reveals the pleasure of learning a routine. From there, curiosity often does the rest, and you go on to dare to explore other languages of the body. Some add ballet to refine their technique: far from clashing, the two disciplines feed each other, the rigour of one bringing more sharpness to the groove of the other.

For all ages, not just teenagers

While teenagers are wild about it, street jazz is just as suited to children as to adults. The youngest find a lively, playful dance in it; adults, a complete class that lets off steam after a day's work. It is a generous discipline, practised at any age and every level. To place street jazz among the other disciplines, read 'Which dance to choose'.

Trying street jazz in Nantes

The class welcomes children, teenagers and adults of all levels, in our studio on rue des Perrines, a stone's throw from tram 1 and buses 12 and 87. To find out whether it is the right discipline for you, try find my class. The first trial class is free, so come as you are.