Who Invented the Jazz Dance Technique?
Early experimentation with the jazz dance form is synonymous with names such as Katherine Dunham and Jack Cole. Katherine Dunham is recognized as the ‘Grandmaster of Jazz Dancing’ the world over, while Jack Cole is considered the ‘Father of the Jazz Dance Technique’. These choreographers were key inspirations to other exponents of the art such as Matt Mattox, Jerome Robbins, Gwen Verdon, Bob Fosse and Eugene Louis Facciuto. It was not until the 1950s, that these pioneers developed routines based on the essence of traditional Caribbean dance forms and created a unique performing art. This was also the era when other dance and music forms were developing and being experimented with, the world over. Jazz soon evolved on Broadway into an improvised version referred to as ‘Modern Jazz’. This smooth style, that is still taught extensively, created its own evolutionary path. The best jazz dance performances included styles popularized in Broadway hits, such as Cabaret, Chicago, The Pajama Gam
