Intro to Jazz Dance Training: Class #1

Intro to Jazz Dance Training: Class #1

September 1st 2015

Reasons for taking Jazz Dance this semester:

My reason for taking Jazz Dance this semester, is because at 33 years of age, I've had a rough life. I was on really nasty perscription meds for most of my 20's which meant that as much as I wanted to improve my physical capacity when I was younger, my efforts were hindered by my pills. 

Now that I'm in my 30's, still in school, and even better off those damn pills, I'm able to improve my physical conditioning. For the past two or three years I've focused on training my stamina, flexibility, coordination and total body fitness. As I have put my efforts into my training, my capacities have increased leaps and bounds, to the point where I put time into daily training equivalent to a part-time job.

I'm also fond of the quote "the best fighters are also dancers" As a long time martial arts aficionado my focus is on swordsmanship, I value dance instruction as an additional means of increasing my abilities as a martial artist. 

This semester I'm looking forward to learning the Jazz Dance style, increasing my physical capacities to even greater heights, and auditioning for dance performances on campus.

Notes on today's class:

New Terms:

Plie: french for "to bend". Today we learned first and second position. In first position our feet are touching, but pointed out from each other. We then bend so that our knee is over our middle toe. second position is the same, but with the legs spread apart with about a foot's length between them.

Tondue: French for "stretch" Today we learned three basic Tondue's. with the foot streached to the front, to the side, and then to the back. Starting from first position, we move the foot outward, not lifting it off of the ground, until forced to by our motion, until it is balenced on our toe. This is very similar to the martial arts footwork that I was taught for Kendo.

New Moves:

Crossing: The lead foot crosses over the other in front. The following foot then moves out across from the lead foot, as if in Tondue.

Kick-Ball-Change: The lead foot does a low kick directly ahead. for the "kick". It then goes directly backwards unto the balls of feet for the "ball".The weight is then shifted on the ball of the lead foot so that the following foot goes off the ground and then touches back to complete the "change"

Grapevine: Step to the side, with the lead foot in the direction of travel. The following foot crosses behind the lead foot. The Lead foot steps to the side again, in the direction of travel. The following foot then crosses the lead foot from in front. Each step corresponds with an armo motion. On the first step the arm above the lead foot makes an "L". On the second step the arm above the follow foot also makes an "L". On the third step the arm above the lead foot is set back on the hip, making an "P" with the body. On the fourth step the arm above the follow foot is set back on the hip, making a "P" with the body. On the second and fourth steps, the lead and follow arms should mirror each other on the dancer's body.

Prancing: Lift the lead foot off the ground in place, so that only the toe is touching the floor. The follow foot should have heel to ground. Stepping forward do the same with the follow foot this time with the heel of the lead to the ground.. Each step forward is one count.

Pony Step: As Prancing, but the first step is to forward and to the side. The second step is the follow foot prancing adjacent to the lead foot while the lead foot has heel on ground.. The lead foot then makes an additional prance step before the next motion. as the dancer finishes the first step, their arm corresponding to that foot should be raised in the air. Pony steps alternate between the left and right foot leading when done successively. Which arm is  raised switches to the other end after a Pony step to the alternating side.

Routine#1

8 counts Crossing 

8 grapevines

8 walking

Routine #2

8 Prancing

8 pony steps