This section of the question paper exam asks candidates to give a personal evaluative response of self. 

Technical aspects of Perfomance 

• Posture and Alignment 

• Turnout and Parallel

• Centering and Balance

• Strength, Stamina and Flexibility

• Control and Fluency 

• Spatial Awareness

Performance Aspects 

• Quality and Dynamics

• Rhythm and Timing 

• Musicality 

• Sense of Performance; Facial expression, eyeling, 

• Focus and  concentration

POWERPOINT 

Knowledge and Understanding 

Jazz Dance - Characteristics

What is jazz Dance?

Jazz dance is a popular dance genre that reflects the diversity of American culture. It has been strongly influenced by social dance forms and popular music throughout history. The evolution and development of Jazz Dance reflect the social history of American people, ethnic influences, historical events, and cultural changes (Kassing 2014; Nalette, 2005). 

Key Characteristics 

The key characteristics of the Jazz Dance style are that it is upbeat and lively, earthy, low, into the floor emphasis on knees bent with pulsating body movements, isolations, and hand clapping. Jazz hands are also a common characteristic of the style (SQA, 2018), made popular by the choreographer Bob Fosse. 

Genre Specific Skills 

Genre specific skills that can be seen in today's jazz style are steps such as: 

• Jazz pirouette (parallel from fourth)

• Jazz split Leap/ Jete 

• Layout Kick 

• Pas de bourrée 

When describing skills, it’s good to think about the skills in three stages describing the Preparation, Action and Recovery. 

For example, a jazz pirouette can be described as follows:

• Preparation

The dancer starts in parallel just forth position, low bent knees and into the floor. 

• Action

Dancers pull up onto their supporting front leg, taking the back working leg to retire position at the side of the knee. In this phase, the dancer spins on the ball of their foot, completing a turn. The head is whipped whilst spotting to the front, and the arms come into a tight jazz first to help streamline and help turn fluently. 

• Recovery

Dancers finish in a strong, controlled parallel first position with hands by their sides.

Jazz - Performance Aspects 

Self-Expression 

Self-Expression is the ability to interpret the theme or intention choreography through expression. Effective self-expression should help convey a story, emotion, or intention. Good use of self-expression will help engage the audience to feel something, communicating with them on another level (Stage Minded, 2022).

A model performer in Jazz will be very skilled at connecting with the audience and portraying emotions and storylines effectively. The use of eyeliner and subtle facial expressions can help show confidence and actively engage the audience in the performance. When dancers lack confidence when performing, they can forget to project their eyeline and focus out to the audience. Suppose dancers concentrate on what they are doing and focus downwards. In that case, they will be unable to portray the required emotions and effectively communicate the intentions of the choreography to the audience.

In Jazz, the model performer's facial expressions can involve big smiles, wide eyes, a confident stance, and sharp, dynamic movements to match the dance style's happy, upbeat, and lively nature. This type of self-expression looks natural and complements the movements and music-making the performance entertaining to watch. 

Quality and Dynamics 

Quality and Dynamics can be defined as using different gradations of energy, adding light and shade to a performance. The way a movement is performed is often described as the dynamic quality of movement. In Dance, there are six dynamic qualities. These are: sustained, percussive, swinging, suspended, collapsed, and vibratory (Sofras, 2020). 

• Sustained movements are slow, smooth, continuous, and even

• Percussive movements are sudden, sharp, choppy, or jagged

• Swinging movements sway to and fro and have a pendulum effect or undercurve

• Suspended movements show stillness, balance, high point

• Collapsed movements fall, release, and relax

• Vibratory movements shake, tremble or wiggle

Having a good use of dynamics in a jazz performance can help engage the audience by making it more aesthetically pleasing and exciting to watch. In a successful jazz performance, the dancers will use a variety of dynamics to enhance the performance. By executing movements to match the music, dynamics help convey the Dance's intention. For example, if the jazz piece was an upbeat and lively number, the dynamics could be sharp and controlled, ensuring the performance was energetic to suit the dance style. Sometimes the movements can also vary; one moment, they are soft and the next erratic. This creates an exciting, unpredictable, and enjoyable jazz performance for the audience.

Timing and Musicality 

In Dance, timing in music refers to the ability of the dancer to keep in time accurately with music, percussion or to synchronise with an ensemble. A different aesthetic can be created by making a subtle adjustment to the note, beat or tempo, which can positively or negatively impact overall performance (Lorning and Pentz, 2022). 

Using musicality in a jazz performance can enhance the sense of performance. Effective musicality and timing will allow dancers to highlight fast and slow points in the music through the quality of their movement, connecting with the music to make the performance more interesting to watch. Hitting movements on specific beats or accents of the music can make the routine more exciting and eye-catching.

Jazz- Technical Aspects 

Posture and alignment 

Having excellent posture and alignment in Jazz is key to safe dance practice and an effective and aesthetically pleasing performance (Quin et al. 2015). 

The correct posture required dancers to start with their feet hip-width apart, and their weight balanced evenly between both feet. The dancer's pelvis should always be kept level with the abdominal and buttocks engaged. The spine should be straight whilst ensuring its natural curve is still there. The correct upright posture can be achieved by lengthening the torso, pulling up your ribcage and keeping the shoulder blades down. Eye line and focus can significantly impact posture and alignment. Dancers should ensure their eye level is lifted and focused throughout performance (Education Scotland 2012).

Having good posture and alignment can positively impact a dancer's performance. An example of this is in pirouettes. When performing pirouettes from fourth position, if your posture is tall and upright with your shoulders back and your body is centred, you will be able to control the movement. There will be no tension or strain in your back or shoulders. This will allow you to attempt multiple rotations without falling out. Overall, this will positively impact your performance as it makes your routine look refined and clean, which will enhance the overall aesthetic of the performance and be aesthetically pleasing to the audience. 

Centring and Balance 

Centring and balance are fundamental elements of a technical dance performance. Centring and balance is the ability to maintain the centre of gravity which keeps you upright and holds your body together as you move. Having good centring and balance allows dancers to move fluently and with stability.

Having good centring and balance can positively impact performance. It allows you to perform with smooth transitions in and out of movements, such as your jazz pirouette from fourth position. By engaging your core, you will be able to complete multiple turns in a controlled manner. You will also be able to transition into balanced positions fluently and with control which means that you can maintain good posture and alignment without wobbling or falling. During your performance in Jazz, good centring and balance also allow you to change directions quickly and fluently during travelling phrases. This will enable you to maintain accurate timing and not lose control, allowing you to perform skills to the best of your ability that looks aesthetically pleasing to the audience. 

Physical Aspects of Fitness such as Strength, Stamina and Flexibility can also impact your performance. 

Strength is the ability of the muscles to overcome resistance or the amount of force that muscles or specific muscle groups can exert. Strength can enhance your overall performance of Jazz Dance. An example of this is that it can be allowable to transition from floor to standing effortlessly, which equally can make your performance aesthetically pleasing to the audience. It can also ensure your movements look strong and controlled. Having good leg strength can enhance the performance of jazz corner work. When performing a split leap across the floor, explosive leg strength can help you get off the floor effortlessly, allowing you to get higher off the ground, enabling adequate time for your legs to reach a full 180 degrees. It also ensures dancers can safely recover from the skill with a safe landing. 

Flexibility can be defined as the range of movement across a joint which a dancer can perform without pain or discomfort. Flexibility can both positively and negatively impact your performance in Jazz Dance. If you have poor flexibility, you may be unable to execute movements such as split leaps and high kicks to a high standard. If your legs do not fully extend into these movements, they will not look aesthetically pleasing and appealing to the audience. Having limited flexibility can also lead to injury if the performer tries to overcompensate with poor posture and alignment or achieve lines their body is incapable of performing. Good flexibility can enhance a performance by creating elegant, straight lines and shapes. Good flexibility can also help dancers perform complex movements safely without losing correct posture and alignment. 

Stamina is the ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort. In Dance, we usually refer to stamina as the ability of the entire body to work continuously without tiring, which could mean during the entirety of a performance or class. If dancers have poor stamina, this can negatively impact their overall performance. At the end of the class, routine, or performance, if dancers’ stamina deteriorates, they may have lower technical abilities, including slumped posture, loss of balance and inadequate strength to perform to their full potential resulting in improper execution of skills or unpleasing posture and lines. Dancers may also be unable to perform with the same dynamics to enhance their performance, and the Dance could lose the lively, dynamic, and exciting nature that the Jazz Dance style requires. Movements can become laboured, which may also negatively impact the timing of your performance and ability to show good musicality. Dancers may be behind if skills take longer to perform than normal, which can also throw off a dancer's focus and concentration. Being tired mentally can result in injury as dancers cannot make decisions effectively or focus on technical requirements.