Dance 1 and 2 students are kicking off their jazz unit for the fall.

“Jazz dance is very important to the students in our department because it goes beyond the basic[s] of our ballet training that we had in our first 9 weeks and it starts building on the skills that they learned,” dance teacher Nicole Nothe said. “But now, it’s going faster and is more energetic and they’re starting to learn more leaps and turns that they did not get a chance to learn in ballet.”

Jazz is an American musical genre that originated in the African American communities of New Orleans around the turn of the 20th century, characterized by improvisation and a blend of African and European musical traditions.

This style of dance can help students learn rhythm coordination, strength, and flexibility, while also teaching them how to express their feelings.

“Jazz is kind of important to me,” freshman Briana Greco said. “I normally do traditionally ballet but jazz is different as it’s less technique oriented and you also get more creative freedom while dancing as well as the music is more upbeat and uplifting so it gives you the energy and you really get to feel with the music.”