The big bands of the swing era during the 1930s and 1940s brought more than just funky beats. Fans of the music needed a new way of dancing, which led to jazz, named for the genre that inspired it. Over the years, jazz dance has evolved and broken off into niche subsets of the discipline. Find out more about the street style in the following guide to decide if jazz class sounds right for you.

How Did Street Jazz Originate?

Street jazz is a fun, often improvised, inclusive style where the dancer draws inspiration from the music. The break-dancing street battles that were so iconic in the 70s and 80s are early forerunners to the street jazz dance movement. You can see their influence in the basic music systems and crowd engagement of a street jazz performance today.

What Are the Characteristics of Jazz Dance?

Jazz dance brings the beat of the music to life through movement. The heavily improvised dance style keeps tempo with the beat while blending fast footwork, expressive hand and arm movements, and seemingly effortless leaps and spins controlled by a strong core. Every performance is a burst of energy. 

What Are the Characteristics of Street Jazz?

Street jazz is funkier and harder than the traditional version with a myriad of influences like hip hop, electro, break dancing, tecktoniks, and robotics. Street jazz is nearly always performed in front of a crowd with just the dancers, a music system, and nothing else.

The St. Laurent School of Dance is one of the premier dancing schools in Honolulu, teaching everyone from three-year-olds to adults. This community-focused school believes learning dance is just the beginning of your journey when you join their classes; you’ll also develop character-building skills like focus and discipline. The school not only has ballet, tap, and jazz, including street jazz, classes but also offers a singing program to enable their students to become all-round performers. Schedule your free trial class today by calling (808) 845-1291 or going online. You can also connect with them on Facebook,and Instagram where you can see pictures of past performances and stay up-to-date with the latest news.