Customer Reviews (3)

American Classic
I second everything Frank Cullen says about this book. I first read it over thirty years ago, acquiring my own copy some years later. Not only is it a great book on American show business,it makes great reading for anyone interested in all facets of New World music and dance culture. I frequently reccomend this book to fans of American music in general, be it jazz, blues, rock 'n' roll, country, Latin etc. etc. After reading the Stearns' wonderful book, one sees that, no matter how well-versed in the musical lore of the Americas one is, it is all a bit two-dimensional without the perspective offered by 'Jazz Dance'.

Best book about American vernacular dance ever written
There is no other dance book on the market (and thank heavens that this one has remained available since it was first published in 1968) that is as useful, delightful to read or as authoratative as Marshall & Jean Stearn's "Jazz Dance". Indeed, it is, in my opinion, one of the best books ever written about any facet of show business.
Vernacular dance in 20th century America wasn't represented or devised solely by a handful of the best remembered: Vernon & Irene Castle, Bill Robinson, Fred & Ginger, Eleanor Powell, Hal Le Roy, the Nicholas Brothers, Gene Kelly, Ann Miller, Donald O'Connor and Bob Fosse.
From the age of variety saloons and minstrelsy through a century of vaudeville and nightclubs, there were hundreds of dancers, black and white, female and male, who contributed to the development of American vernacular (or jazz) dance. Hoofers invented, borrowed, stole and adapted rhythm steps, jumps, slides, contortions and even style from each other---and American dance became richer for their efforts.
Marshall Stearns understood that. Instead of choosing to write about the best known dancers of his day, the ones blessed by luck, Stearns took on the nearly impossible task of interviewing every dancer of ability he could locate. Some like King Rastus Brown, Ginger Wiggins and Groundhog were remarkable talents known only by a very few--most of whom were other dancers who held them in high esteem. Others like John Bubbles, Ida Forsythe, James Barton, Pete Nugent, Eddie Rector, Alice Whitman, Willie Covan and Harlan Dixon were peerless dancers of their day but forgotten despite years of stardom. Mr. Stearns brought more than a hundred fine hoofers to tell their stories to readers and dance enthusiasts.
Stearns wove those stories together without forcing themes and, within the warp and woof of his narrative, emerged bits of social history and showbiz lore, explanations of certain dance steps, claims and counter-claims as to origins and originality, faulty recollections and all but forgotten gems of clearly remembered facts.
Many reputations emerged brightly restored in luster while others, perhaps more famous, proved less admired by professionals who had more discerning views than fans with less knowledge of dance.
Whenever I need to check a fact about vernacular dance--jazz dance or tap--I turn first to Marshall Stearn's invaluable book.
Frank Cullen
founder, American Vaudeville Museum publisher of "Vaudeville Times"
author: "Vaudeville, Old & New: an Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America" (2006, Routledge Press)

trivia, not how-to
Want to know what the "buck and wing" looks like?The "black bottom," "shorty george," "eagle rock" or "Jersey bounce"?Well, if you can read Labanotation, you canfind out from the last pages of this book.Otherwise, you'll just have tosettle for a bunch of dance history and anecdotes strung together by theStearns, who interviewed as many American jazz dancers as they could stillfind alive.

It's fascinating stuff, though.The text does give somelimited descriptions, and opening the book to a random page reveals both" . . .Crawley danced while he played clarinet, juggling the pieces ashe dismantled it" and "As performed by Little Egypt at theChicago World's Fair in 1893, where it first received national attention asthe Hootchy-Kootchy, the Shake dance was not particularly rhythmic."

As an actual history of American dance, for me this book lackscoherence.But I did learn about ways in which African dance influencedAmerican, see the names of quite a lot of performers, steps, andperformance venues, and learn to play the "Buck Dancer's Lament"on the piano.If you want something you can read a page of and then putdown until later, this will fill the bill. ... Read more

Book Description
In an accessible, easy-to-read style, this text provides students with well-illustrated descriptions of all basic jazz steps and movements, including valuable information on alignment, improvisation, injury prevention, nutrition and fitness, and history of jazz dance. Throughout the text, "Movement Tips" boxes help students with particularly challenging movements, and "Precaution" boxes help students utilize correct techniques to avoid injury. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Very good for both students and teachers
It's easy to read and the structure is logical. Both picture and text describes the movement and how it should be executed. It's good for both the student and the teacher, and contains beside the descriptions of movements the basic of jazzhistory, music theory, stretch and a lot more. It's a good book.

What a great book
I teach jazz dance in a college setting and recommend this book for my students.Jump into Jazz breaks the art of Jazz dance down beautifully.I have found this book to be extremely helpful and concise.The illustrations are easy to understand, and the worksheets at the back of the book are a wonderful way for my students to test their understanding of the ideas presented.

Excellent.
I bought Jump Into Jazz for my daughter who is a High School Dance Teacher, and she has found this book, recommended to her by another dance teacher, to be a thoroughly useful tool that she refers to daily...excellent.

A gift for my neice and she loved it
I bought this for my neice and I have been the favorite Uncle ever since! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Brilliant, Informative - a fine supplement!
This is really a brilliant book. It has everything you need to know about jazz from basic to advanced. No matter if you are a student, dancer or teacher.
A.Gaarden,dancer,teacher& choreographer ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Overview of Dance/Music History
This book is a great condensed overview of different eras and their styles of dancing and music.It also had some exercises for Jazz students including pictures, which is very helpful.I enjoyed the book.

Wanting to learn about Jazz? This is the book for you!
This book was very insightful. It gave a detailed history of where Jazz began and how it has developed to the present day. It also discussed proper nutrition a dancer should have, classroom etiquette, injury prevention andmuch more. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn orteach jazz. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A quite practical, do-it-yourself instructional guide
Jazz Dance Styles & Steps For Fun by dancer, dance teacher, and choreographer Helen Andreu, is a quite practical, do-it-yourself instructional guide which is enhanced with black-and-white illustrations. Andreu draws upon considerably expertise to teach the reader how to enjoy jazz dance styles ranging from blues, to disco, to everything in between. Step-by-step instructions, tips for aerobicizing dance steps if one is after an intense workout, sample routines, and so much more, make Jazz Dance Styles & Steps for Fun an excellent and thoroughly "user friendly" self-help resource for serious dance students, aerobic exercise and physical fitness instructors, as well as casual folks simply looking to learn some new floor moves.

5-Star Review
Forewordreview.com gave this book 5 stars. The review is as follows:

Jazz Dance Styles and Steps for Fun - by Helene Andreu

Learning how to dance takes courage, and the opportunity to take the first awkward steps in the privacy of one's own home offers many who are too shy to venture out to a class a chance to discover a healthy avenue for fun and exercise. Andreu's comprehensive instructive guide to American Jazz dance is geared mainly toward those who have some dance experience already, as well as for beginners who are adept at visualizing movement from detailed, step-by-step directions.

Instead of imposing a regimen on her readers, Andreu allows everyone to determine what they want to learn and when. "You, the reader, decide how to use the book," Andreu explains at the start, "either proceed from the beginning to the end; or choose a favorite style and gradually learn that entire chapter; or look at the symbols for level of difficulty and learn all the easiest steps first, or learn the jogging sequence and aerobic variation of each step if that is your prime interest."

Each chapter details a different style of dance, including Latin, Swing, Afro-Caribbean, and free-form jazz, with ample background information on the history, trends, and influence of the dance. A bibliography of selected readings is also included for each jazz style, along with a discography of recommended music to accompany the routines. Visual learners are aided in the translation of described movements by still photographs throughout of the author and other dancers performing the steps, while those with some dance experience should be familiar enough with stage directions and basic steps to move quickly through the routines of their choosing.

Copious detail and thought is evident in each page of the book, and at first the volume of information appears overwhelming, the learning curve daunting. Yet once readers understand the system-symbols indicate the difficulty level of each step, with routines for both aerobic exercise and dance-the tools are readily available to begin.

Andreu, who has taught all ages of people all forms of dance, from ballet to tap to folk and ethnic, promises that by the end "you'll have acquired grace, stamina, coordination, and fitness through the excellent workouts in various styles of jazz with a contemporary flair." Her obvious knowledge and enthusiasm does everything to assist in achieving this end.

Review by Christine Thomas, Forewordreview.com ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Comprehensive Guide to Jazz Dance Methods
Frank Hatchett and Nancy Myers Gitlin have provided a thoroughly comprehensive guide to jazz dance.Whether enthusiastic novice or experienced jazz dancer, this book is a tremendous resource on the methodology of jazz dance.The unique expressive nature of Frank Hatchett's jazz style is captured and broken down, with detailed warm-ups and movements, truly helpful technique tips and anecdotes from the authors.The history of this unique style of jazz dance is documented, which is a great resource for those studying dance at the collegiate level.What I found particularly helpful is understanding the various elements of Frank's style, known as VOP, and becoming comfortable with now teaching this to my students.The book even has an introduction by one of Frank's star students---Brooke Shields!Nancy Myers Gitlin has done a great job collaborating with this dance legend to document this influential jazz dance style.I would recommend this book HIGHLY!

Frank Hatchett's Jazz Dance
This book is every dancers dream. It is wonderful and very touching. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The Real Jazz!
This book explains very clearly the warm up exercises of the Luigi technique. This technique allows you to dance Jazz from the inside, what you learn here can be applied to ballet, modern dance, or any other technique plus to your daily life.The pictures and explanations are easy to understand, but it requires time to learn each exercise. If you have been in a Luigi class before this book will help you remember the exercises.

luigi revisited
Very nice and interesting book on Jazz technique and its basis...

easy to read et to follow...

A must for any jazz teacher!

Dany - www.crescendo-danse.ch

Aesthetically and medically correct
Luigi is a miracle.His dance technique grew out of his self-rehabilitation from a paralysis caused by head trauma.The injury forced him to discover how to stand, walk, and dance with perfect balance and alignment...or he wouldn't have been able to stand, walk, or dance at all.That knowledge has been refined into a jazz dance technique that is CORRECT.It won't hurt the body, and it will actually heal many muscle and joint problems.And it looks absolutely beautiful!This book does an excellent job of explaining not only Luigi's technique, but also Luigi's philosophy that underlies the technique.It should be in the library of every dancer, and of anyone interested in proper body alignment and movement.

Easy to follow, splendid jazz training system
As a former dancer, now teacher and choreographer, I have been dancing and teaching Luigi's style for many years(without reading his book). I was taught by an amarican dancer, so when I recently read the book, I was surprised how well known the exercisesand not less Luigi's philosophy was to me. The book is a perfect way to learn jazz, diff. steps (lots of small photographs) and not to forget his brilliant idea:"take the barre with you" out on the floor. The most complete jazz system I've ever trained.
The book is easy read, easy to follow even for beginners, and not to forget - a perfect way to get strong,long and smooth muscles. I can only recommend the book - a fine supplement to related books and videos.

A great book for those interested in dance
I thought this book was great!Luigi's personal and professional story is truly inspirational.All aspects of this book was well written.I found the content of this book a tremendous help.Ihighly recommend it tothose such as myself who have never taken a dance class, but are interestedin signing up for class and need to prepare in advance for flexibility,strength, etc.The book is easy to follow; the photographs give plenty ofvisual detail and the descriptions are specifically written to be easilyfollowed by a novice.The exercises in this book condition the bodywonderfully in preparation for dance. ... Read more

Book Description
The great improvisational American jazz musicians of the mid-20th century inspired a generation of photographers to develop a looser, moodier style of visual expression. That evocative approach is on striking display in The Jazz Image. Covering six decades of performers —from Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington to John Coltrane and Miles Davis—this unique collection is as much a comprehensive catalogue of jazz greats as it is a salute to the photographers who captured them.

Lee Tanner, a leading authority on jazz photography, has selected works—by such noted jazz photographers as Herman Leonard, Bob Willoughby, Milt Hinton, and Bill Claxton—that are iconic, candid, explosive, and intimate. They provide a simultaneous look at jazz, photography, and America from 1935 into the 1990s. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Truly great images
If you grew up listening to jazz from the 30's through the 60's you'll really enjoy the pictures in this book.They evoke a feeling and, in most cases, present the players as "bigger than life"...just as they were to us then and now.

candid photos depicting the greatest stars in jazz!
Wonderful "coffee table" book, loaded with excellent candid photos of the greatest jazz stars -- definitely a keeper!

Great Overview
this is the kind of Book that truly showcases some of the Greatest Jazz Artists Ever. Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Miles Davis,Louis Armstrong, amongest others. it is great to see so many Important musical figures in the Moment where Creativity is coming about. this is a Must have collection. ... Read more

Book Description
This text provides necessary theory with an easy-to-read and understandable format that allows instructors to devote class time to dance. Please see Adams Racquetball Today for more information. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This book
I was introduced to this book by my dance teacher who just so happens to be the author.I was studying, in fact, the basics of jass dance in order to furthur educate myself on the art.This book proved invaluable and was splendidly written and I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Book Description
This book explores the complexity of Cuban dance music and the webs that connect it, musically and historically, to other Caribbean music, to salsa, and to Latin Jazz. Establishing a scholarly foundation for the study of this music, Raul A. Fernandez introduces a set of terms, definitions, and empirical information that allow for a broader, more informed discussion. He presents fascinating musical biographies of prominent performers Cachao López, Mongo Santamaría, Armando Peraza, Patato Valdés, Francisco Aguabella, Cándido Camero, Chocolate Armenteros, and Celia Cruz. Based on interviews that the author conducted over a nine-year period, these profiles provide in-depth assessments of the musicians' substantial contributions to both Afro-Cuban music and Latin Jazz. In addition, Fernandez examines the links between Cuban music and other Caribbean musics; analyzes the musical and poetic foundations of the Cuban son form; addresses the salsa phenomenon; and develops the aesthetic construct of sabor, central to Cuban music.
Copub: Center for Black Music Research ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Dance Magazine, published by Dance Magazine, Inc. on January 1, 2006. The length of the article is 1100 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: On fads and fundamentals: jazz dance teachers share their perspectives.(TEACH-LEARN CONNECTION)
Author: Lynn Voedisch
Publication: Dance Magazine (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2006
Publisher: Dance Magazine, Inc.
Volume: 80Issue: 1Page: 198(4)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Dance Magazine, published by Thomson Gale on December 1, 2005. The length of the article is 435 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Jazz Dance Congress report 2005.(DANCE MATTERS)(Ron de Jesus' Prey)
Author: Lynn Voedisch
Publication: Dance Magazine (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 79Issue: 12Page: 16(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
Embracing the entire history of jazz poetry, the work defines this inspired literary genre as poetry necessarily informed by jazz music. It discusses the major figures and various movements from the racist poems of the 1920s to contemporary times when the tone of jazz poetry experienced a dramatic change from elegy to celebration. The jazz music of Charlie Parker and John Coltrane transliterated into poetry by the likes of Langston Hughes and Sterling Brown is but a part of this vital work. This unusual volume will be of interest to scholars and students of literature, music, American and African Studies, and popular culture as well as anyone who enjoys jazz and poetry. Emphasis is given to a call and response between white and African American writers. The earliest jazz poems by white writers from the 1920s, for example, reflected the general anxieties evoked by jazz, particularly regarding race and sexuality, and jazz did not fully become embraced in American verse until Langston Hughes and Sterling Brown published their first books in 1926 and 1932, respectively. By the 1950s, jazz poetry had become a fad, featuring jazz-and-poetry in performance, and this book spends considerable time addressing the energetic but often wildly unsuccessful work by dominantly white, West coast writers who turned to Charlie Parker as their hero. African American poets from the 1960s, however, focused more on John Coltrane and interpreted his music as a musical representation of the Black Civil Rights movement. Jazz poetry from the 1970s to the present has had less to do with this call and response between races, and the final two chapters discuss contemporary jazz poetry in terms of its dramatic change in tone from elegy to joy. ... Read more

Book Description
Now updated for a new generation of swing enthusiasts, reissued to coincide with the release of "The World of Swing" CD from Columbia/Legacy This monumental history of big band jazz, documented through interviews with forty leading musicians, has been updated with a new introduction and discography by Dan Morgenstern. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An essential work --"I would rather be dead" than not swing!
The people interviewed in this book are leading Swing musicans. They may not be well-known to the neo-swingsters, or those whose idea of swing is big band white swing groups that were essentially pop oriented parasites on Black music, nor are post swing proto rock and rollers misidentified with Swing like Louis Jordan or Louis Prima featured.

However, if you interested in serious swing musicians who were at the center of the jazz swing music, African American pioneers, and jazz oriented white musicians this is your book.

Dance is a great interviewer here and in his other world of books. He gets behind the common places to points that MUSICIANS really want to know about the player's experience.

An example is the interview he did with Elmer Snowden in which a dying Snowden allows him to use his secret that he used guitar strings on his banjo is precisely for those of us who recognize Snowden as a major Jazz banjoist, a major band leader, a senior stateman of Jazz, even though he may remain unknown among white yuppie swing wannabes (or has another fad captivated these know-nothings?).

Dance also interviews enough of the great arrangers--a group neglected by everyone except musicians and serious swing fans--that we get a pictures of their contributions.

This book is not narrow. There are lots of connections from the Swing world of the 30s and 40s back to earlier forms of Jazz and forward to bop, R & B, and even rock and roll here.

My favorite part of the book is where he takes a poll of all his interviewees. My favorite part is where the musicians are asked what they would do if they were not musician. We see a bunch of interesting alternatives that help you gauge the personality and background with their alternatives.My favorite is the player--I will let you discover who he is--who says "I would rather be dead" than not play music!I've used that as a watchword not only for music but for the better things in life morally, artistically, and every other way.

Some pretty obscure folks???
Now when I ordered this book I was under the assumption it would be about Big Bands and Swing (isn't that pretty much the title?).Now when most people think of Big Bands they think of Miller, Dorsey, Shaw, Herman, Thornhill, or even famous sidemen from these bands such as Conrad Gozzo for example. But this book is filled with some pretty obscure folks, ie: Lawrence Lucie,Billy Mackel,Eddie Locke and of course famous ones that you'll recognize such as Erskine Hawkins, Cozy Cole, Chick Webb etc..but for those fans thinking it will be about possibly there favorite band leader or about the music that was played or by who they will be sadly mistaken. Not that the book is un -interesting, it's just not what I was expecting when I ordered it. So buyer beware ..... ... Read more