Jon Lehrer's career as a dancer started late and was a bit of a winding pathway. Starting his dance career at 18 years old gave him a unique and broad perspective, where many dancers find themselves pigeonholed by the style they grew up learning or dancing in. During his time at University at Buffalo he was exposed to multiple different dance styles and choreographers. After graduating he bounced around different dance jobs until landing work with Erik Hawkins, a pillar in the modern dance world. Lehrer spend several years learning from and growing in his position under Hawkins before moving on to Chicago where he joined Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago. Jazz and Modern dance may have some similarities but their techniques and foundations are quite different making it a rarity to see dancers switch between these styles once established in their career. 

Having this unique experience of switching dance modalities mid-career has given Jon Lehrer's work as a choreographer a very individual style. When watching Lehrer's complete works it's easy to see the influences of Gus Giordano's grounded work, unique isolations, and signature contractions. Simultaneously you can also see the influence of Erik Hawkins "free flow" technique's and the buoyancy it creates. One through line that connects Erik Hawkins and Gus Giordano's techniques is a intense focus of the role of the pelvis in movement. Erik Hawkins moved away from his mentor/predecessor Martha Graham's focus on the spine and explored how the pelvis was the root of all dance movement and how it should work with gravity rather than fighting against it. Similarly Gus Giordano believed that energy in dance emanates from the pelvis and an active pelvis became a pillar of his technique. These similarities likely aided in Jon Lehrer's ability to adapt to a new dance style and can be seen in his current works.

Read below to learn more about the history of both modern and jazz dance and these iconic choreographers.

Jazz dance originated as a social dance style in the early 20th century alongside modern dance. Jazz dance is a uniquely American style of dance born in African American communities starting in New Orleans developing as a physical mirror of jazz music. 

First appearing in social gatherings with jazz music and a sense of competitive play and showman ship, this dance started as social dance. Through minstrel shows and vaudeville it founds it's way to stage performances. Once onstage it did not take long for Broadway and the world of musicals to find jazz dance and envelope it into the folds of Musical Theatre. Both on stage and on screen, jazz dance became a commercial success for big names like Josephine Baker, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, the Nicholas Brothers, and many many more. 

Meanwhile outside the limelight dancers and choreographers such as Katherine Dunham, Alvin Ailey, Jose Limon, and Gus Giordano worked to develop what is considered the more "concert" forms of jazz dance. When we refer to "concert" dance we are often discussing dance works of art that rely more on context, history, and artistic/theatrical expression. Whereas commercial dance is made to impress, entertain, and often profit. 

Gus Giordano & Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago

Gus Giordano, a student of Katherine Dunham, trained in New York City in ballet and modern dance in his youth before being drafted into the United States Marine Corps during World War II. After serving his country he attended University of Missouri where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree. 

After moving to Evanston, Illinois, Gus Giordano began teaching dance and founded his school Gus Giordano Dance School. This is where he codified his technique; Giordano Jazz Dance Technique. His iconic use of "jazz hands" having wide spread fingers, he also used very low and grounded plie positions, isolated movements of various body parts, an active pelvis, contracted spine, unique arm patterns, and unconventional shoulder placements reminiscent of both Martha Graham and Bob Fosse. 

The video below features Nan Giordano (Gus' Daughter & Artistic Director of Giordano Jazz Chicago) and her protege Cesar Salinas (Associate Artistic Director of Giordano Jazz Chicago) demonstrating some of the iconic Giordano Jazz Dance Technique.