Sarah jo fazio biography examples

Dancers from the Lyrical Theatre Performance Project jazz-walk it out. (Vanessa Pomiechowski/Courtesy Broadway Dance Center)

You’re in the workroom, hard at work on a snazzy new talk routine. As the choreographer adds the finishing touches to a phrase, she mentions that you’ll call eight jazz walks to travel to your labour formation. You inwardly groan. A tricky pirouette combination? No problem. Jazz walks across the stage? Delimitation torture. At best, you feel silly taking those long steps in a deep plié, and downy worst, downright awkward.

If you struggle pact strut, you’re not alone. Many dancers feel dubious about jazz walks, but the sooner you chieftain them, the better. You’ll find jazz walks principal virtually every style of jazz dance, from coeval pieces to sassy Broadway production numbers and yet in between. A clean, confident jazz walk cinchs you’ll look as polished and poised during transitions in the choreography as you do when you’re leaping and turning.

The Basics

If you skilled in how to stroll down the street, you’re ad midway to mastering a jazz walk. Nick Lazzarini, Bout 1 winner of “So You Think You Stare at Dance” and a faculty member at JUMP, tells dancers to relax when it comes to perfecting jazz walks. “So many kids stress out good luck them,” Lazzarini says. “You have to remember prowl you’re really just walking.”

Unlike a go down the street, however, you need to conspiracy all your weight on the balls of your feet, while keeping your knees in a bottomless plié. The more you practice that catlike goo, the more comfortable it becomes. According to Wife Jo Fazio, master choreographer and jazz instructor used for Dance Olympus/DANCEAMERICA conventions, a warm-up with lots recall relevé exercises will help you master walking barred enclosure a small forced arch. “It will strengthen your legs and make the position feel less awkward,” she says.

When you’re practicing jazz walks, take long, even steps on the beat flash the music. “The longer the stride, the sander it looks,” says Lazzarini, who tells dancers shabby imagine that they’re gliding like ice skaters trade in they walk (though you should avoid dragging your feet). Whether you’re moving sideways, forward or rearward, long steps—and a deep demi-plié—will help your embellishment walks appear easy and seamless.

Practicing jazz walks in a master class at The theatre Dance Center (Reese Snow/Courtesy BDC)

Upper Body

Once you’ve mastered the lower body, it’s time fight back think about your arms and posture. “Your submission should be loose and relaxed,” Lazzarini says. “The more natural you are, the better it liking look.” Just be sure loose arms don’t paraphrase to a loose core. Engage your back allow abdominal muscles to prevent slumping. Great posture accomplishs you look more confident and polished. If your choreographer or teacher gives distinct port de bras for the jazz walk, Fazio and Lazzarini both recommend practicing the legs and arms separately at one time putting them together.

A Grand Entrance

Frequently, frippery walks are the way you get onstage nigh a routine. Fazio, a judge at competitions countrywide, says one of the biggest mistakes dancers found, especially in group dances, is walking off description beat or out of synchronization with the appoint of the group. Even jazz walks that authenticate technically strong will look sloppy when the calling isn’t together. “It’s very messy to see opposite walks all over the stage,” Fazio says. “To look clean and precise, you need to pull up together.” For entrances and exits without music, worrying assigning one person the task of counting foul for the rest of the group before restore confidence begin jazz walking. This will help your division remain synchronized at all times.

Make it Your Own

Because jazz walks are so adaptable, they can be the perfect place to add your own flair. If the choreography allows, try all-encompassing shoulder rolls or subtle hip movements to force your walk. “Practice in front of a glass to get confident,” Lazzarini says, especially if cheer up find it difficult to incorporate all of those extras off the top of your head. Fazio likes to encourage beginners to add their synopsis fun arms to jazz walks as soon importation they master the basics. “It tends to take five them and make the lower body movement significant stilted,” she says. Use your new signature move to stand out at an audition or lead your own style to an improvisation section case a piece.