Jazz in America

Jazz- Made in America

On December 7, 2013 I attended the Jazz- Made in America dance performance at the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance. The performance was held in studio 3317 of the Old Main building on Wayne State University campus. Then performance was choreographed by Nicholas Leichter and Linda Simmons along with the On stage! Dance Company. The company is celebrating 60 years of providing entertainment and education for all age through dance performances. And this performance educated the audience on how Jazz evolved and combined with other forms of music. There is no way to tell who choreographed each piece because the program did not provide that information.

The first piece I enjoyed was titled “Street Rhythms”. This piece had no music; the rhythms were made from the tap dancing and clapping. I would call it tap dance jazz, because of the way the dancers used tap dancing Shoes to make the sound of a percussion instrument to make jazz music. The costumes were a depiction of men in suspenders and high water pant as they were called in those days. The choreography told the story of hoe one group would simulate the dance of another group, something like a dance off, of who can tap better. The setting was of bright lights and no props.

The second piece I enjoyed the most was titled “Chase Me Blues Away” This performance was a story telling of women having the blues over a man the costumes where befitting to the performance, the women had on long red dresses while the men wore black suits as if they were the object of these women blues. The whole performance used the prop of a stool for each dancer to sit on and dance around. The lighting was low and set a sullen mood until the end, when the ladies start to perform happier move to show that their blues have been chased away. The lights became brighter and the moves more seductive.

The last but not least was The Swing Era, this piece was not performed by the company, but it...