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Enjoy America's indigenous dance art form - Jazz Dance at the Annual Jazz & Tap Dance Festival 2013.
Back for its 27th season the Annual Jazz & Tap Dance Festival fills the auditorium with energy and soul as area dance companies showcase their newest creations in jazz, tap and hip-hop. This is the only major jazz dance festival in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and is a rare opportunity to witness a large-scale tribute to American's indigenous dance art form.
Jazz dance, whose roots extend deep into the cultural soil of Louisiana, has traveled from the streets of New Orleans to Broadway and to the concert stage. Contemporary jazz dance is a powerful fusion of original jazz dance styles with other forms of dance ranging from classical ballet to popular street dance. As a living artistic history, jazz dance stems from the heart of a nation never at rest. Kinetic yet fluid, technically acute yet hugely entertaining, jazz dance reflects the diversity of our nation and celebrates its energy. Jazz dance is Made in America!
Performing this year at the Festival were:
Dancin' Unlimited
Encore Performers
Center Stage Dance
Capitol Movement
iMpulse
MYTE
Undertoe Dance Project (from New York City)
"This show jazzes the house, puts swing in your bones, a tap to your fingers and a beat to your walk," says Marilyn York, Festival Director.
Dancin' Unlimited, a premier jazz dance company in the DC Metro Area, will present four numbers. "Burlesque" is a sultry yet classy medley with music from the motion picture Burlesque. The stage and audience comes alive as the dancers bring this fantasy land of glitter, fringe, and a little leg to the stage. Come fly with Dancin' Unlimited in "Sinatra," where the world of Frankie is still alive and it's pure heaven. With choreography from Mark Morris company member Spencer Ramirez, "Sinatra" is old-fashioned, classic, and heart-warming.
Bye bye, "Blackbird!" With a few snaps and a pop of the hip, Dancin' Unlimited is back to Fosse's time accompanied by the sweet voice of the beautiful Katie Pritz. "White Out," a contemporary jazz piece, encourages the audience to move past negativity and hardships that can hinder our ability to transcend life problems.
Each company brings something unique to the table. Undertoe, directed by Dana Fisch, merges jazz and tap in "Home," three duets performed to a soft ballad sung by Dave Grohl. Each duet represents a different relationship and the growing pains, push, and pull of each. Encore, directed by Raynor van der Merwe, delivers the Broadway "wow" factor. Center Stage, directed by Sherri Shortell, brings the crowd to life with show-stopping hoofing. Impulse, directed by Sara Hart, blends jazz syncopation with lyrical dance. Capitol Movement, founded by Stephanie Jackson and Amber Yancey, takes hip-hop up a notch with an interesting blend of tut, tear, and flash.
Jazz dance is a true American art form, with 20th century styles evolving and merging toward today's 21st century music. Jazz dance has changed as jazz music itself has advanced and as popular culture has shifted. York frames the Festival as a sequence of jazz, tap, hip-hop, and musical theater dance numbers, in the vaudevillian or revue style.
"This is art that honors original street dance techniques with contemporary energy and inspiration," says York. The power of live jazz, tap and hip-hop dance is in its vitality and rhythmic creativity. It's always fresh, free, and fundamental to our American spirit.
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LocationNorterhn Virginia Community College - Annandale Campus Theatre (View)
8333 Little River Turnpike
Annandale, VA 22003
United States
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