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What is jazz to you? (Conversations With Jazz Dancers.).


Brockus Project Dance Company has been performing a blend of modern and jazz throughout southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region,  since 1991. Choreographer/Director Deborah Brockus trained in a mixture of styles and techniques, Graham, Horton, and Fosse among them. She realized her true calling as a choreographer cho·re·o·graph  
v. cho·re·o·graphed, cho·re·o·graph·ing, cho·re·o·graphs

v.tr.
1. To create the choreography of: choreograph a ballet.

2.
, however, when a friend told her that her style of modern "drinks way too much coffee and eats chocolate." In other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke"
put differently
, it was jazz.

On an uncharacteristically rainy night at Debbie Reynolds For the Chief Veterinary Officer (UK) with a similar name, see .

Debbie Reynolds (born April 1, 1932) is an Academy Award-nominated American actress, singer, and dancer.
 Studios in North Hollywood, California, Brockus and six of her dancers interrupted a rehearsal to share their definitions of and feelings about jazz dance.

"Jazz dance needs the strength of ballet and modern because it overlays those techniques. It uses them and changes the rhythm," observed Brockus.

Roxanne Reye, a dancer with the Brockus company, added, "I like it because it gives me more opportunity for expression. There's more variety."

"That's because it can so easily be mixed and mingled with so many other techniques," chimed in Kaleo.

"It's also more universal," added Susan Silvestri Thoma. "There's salsa, musical theater, lyrical, etcetera, etcetera. I love the sharpness of jazz, but I know you need the technique of ballet to do it. ... I love using the ground and then springing into the air."

Andrea Marblestone had a different take on the genre. "I love the way audiences relate to jazz. I think it has something to do with the 'overlays' Deborah was talking about. It draws from those different techniques."

"[I think] dance is coming full circle," added Brockus. "Choreographers have a great range of expression and need dancers who can move easily through ballet, modern, and jazz choreography. ... Europe's been mixing the techniques for years. Modern is introspective in·tro·spect  
intr.v. in·tro·spect·ed, in·tro·spect·ing, in·tro·spects
To engage in introspection.



[Latin intr
, ballet is mystical, but jazz ..."

"It just feels the best [to me]," Roxanne said in summing up her comments. "After I do jazz, I feel like I've really danced."

"I wouldn't look at a dancer with no jazz training for my company," said Brockus. "The dancing would be too flat. I want the voracious quality jazz dancers have. I want the zap and pow!"

So razzle Noun 1. razzle - any exciting and complex play intended to confuse (dazzle) the opponent
razmataz, razzle-dazzle, razzmatazz

play - a preset plan of action in team sports; "the coach drew up the plays for her team"

razzle ,
 the strength of ballet and dazzle the power of modern, and you've got it. It's jazz!

Mary Miller Mary Ellen Miller is the master of Saybrook College at Yale University and the Vincent Scully Professor of the History of Art.

She studies and lectures on the art and architecture of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, on which she has authored or co-authored a number of works.
 was the assistant editor of Dance & Fitness magazine for many years. She now writes about dance in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. .
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Article Details
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Author:Miller, Mary
Publication:Dance Magazine
Article Type:Interview
Geographic Code:1U9CA
Date:Aug 1, 2003
Words:388
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Next Article:Students board new DMA ship. (Conversations With Jazz Dancers).(Dance Masters of America's Student Honors Intensive Program )
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