Solo jazz (also known as jazz roots, authentic jazz or vintage jazz) is an African American dance style born out of the music of the jazz and swing era.  The 'solo' part of the name refers to the fact that this is a non-partnered dance form, but it certainly doesn't have to be danced alone and is fun to dance with friends! From 1920s charleston, through to the 1930s Shim Sham Shimmy and moves taken from lindy hop and tap dance, on to a more theatre dance-inspired style, solo jazz can be danced in varying styles to suit a wide range of music, and you can see its legacy in all kinds of dance styles that have been popular since. If you're not sure what kind of dancing this is, take a look at this short playlist of solo jazz videos to get inspired.

 

Whether you already dance swing or tap or are completely new to dance, learning solo jazz can help you to develop your posture, movement, confidence and musicality.  Each week in classes, we will:

 

• add to our vocabulary of moves and focus on dance technique to create more precise style and movements

 

• learn choreographed sequences to develop confidence in linking moves together

 

• use a range of lovely music from the 20s-50s (and maybe the odd modern track if it's really good!) to experiment with how we can vary our styling and timing to match different rhythms and moods. 

 

We'll be working on technique and you will get a good work out, but first and foremost we will be dancing for fun and the sheer enjoyment of the fabulous music.