Broadway dance brings the energy of classic musicals to the stage. Learn about its history, key principles like polyrhythm and improvisation, and how it differs from Afro-Jazz.
Broadway is the performance of dance numbers from famous musicals.
Each of us has heard at least once about Broadway, musicals, and Jazz.
Broadway originated in the 1920s and almost immediately began to gain popularity and acquire fans.
At the same time, musicals also skyrocketed in popularity.
Back then, audiences witnessed the first musicals: "Chicago," "West Side Story," "A Chorus Line," "Burlesque," "Cats."
Broadway got its name from the theater located on Broadway Street in New York.
Additionally, the dance is based on elements of African dance, which is characterized by emotionality and plasticity.
For this people, dance is in their blood, allowing them to convey any emotion through dance movements.
Moreover, the style also incorporates elements of Jazz.
Breathtaking productions with a distinct style amazed people then and continue to amaze today.
For Americans, a musical performance was a real celebration that left a lasting impression.
Broadway productions included not only theatrical elements but also well-coordinated choreography.
Many confuse Broadway with Afro-Jazz. However, these are different styles.
Broadway is a show, a celebration, and only then a dance.
Afro-Jazz is first and foremost a dance, where the focus is on the dancer themselves.
Features of the Broadway Style
Over its existence, Broadway has defined certain principles that set it apart from other dance styles and make it unique.
Principles of the Broadway dance style:
1st Principle — Polyrhythm: the ability to move in various dance rhythms with specific parts of the body.
2nd Principle — Improvisation.
Its essence lies in the dancer dissolving into the music, flowing with its currents without knowing where the dance will lead.
3rd Principle — Polycentrism.
It involves generating movement from a single part of the body.
This principle requires the dancer to have certain skills in controlling the movements of each body part.
Additionally, another feature of Broadway is that it is not just a dance number, but a standalone story with a narrative.
One of the dancers' tasks is to immerse themselves in the role, which allows for improvisation.
The story is engaging to watch, evoking various emotions and feelings such as compassion, empathy, involvement, and more.
Today, the Broadway style is available in many studios and schools in Russia and around the world.
Specifically in Russia, this style is gaining momentum, but it has not yet reached peak popularity.
Despite this, dance schools and studios teach Broadway Jazz, and some dancers have even built successful careers in America.
Broadway is a challenging dance to perform, but that does not make it any less interesting.
In America and England, special "intensives" have been introduced for studying dance performance in the Broadway Jazz style, which include daily work with dancers, preparation for auditions, as well as rehearsals, working with the audience, and acting.
Today, anyone interested has the opportunity to participate in a Broadway-style production.
To take part, you need to enroll in a school that offers classes in this style.
As a rule, many groups have no age or gender restrictions, as the main things for future dancers are perseverance and the desire to achieve dance success.
This is not a hobby for a specific circle of people, but a wonderful chance for everyone to feel like a real star!
The GoDance team crafts articles about dance, technique and inspiring stories from dancers.
Subscribe to our newsletter and get new content delivered to your inbox
