Jazz, Modern, Lyrical

dancersdreamland · Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 11:04 pm Post subject: Jazz, Modern, Lyrical

So I've been watching some dance performances and shows, and am troubled. I'm hoping the members of this form can help shine some light on this topic...

What are the differences between jazz, modern, and lyrical? I know the styles are quite different, but they seem to be so similar and sometimes when I watch, I can't tell what is what.

I appreciate your thoughts and feedback!

Kuriin · Joined: 23 Jun 2005 Posts: 56 Location: In my imagination

Jazz - Technical and Traditional Jazz is the truest form of Jazz. It is difficult to describe it. If you've danced technical/tradition jazz, hiphop, and street/pop/funk jazz, and broadway jazz, you will know the difference. You can feel it.

Modern - A rebellious form of Ballet. Isadora Duncan's technique "Free flow" and Doris Humphrey "fall and recovery" are best known to describe modern dance.

Lyrical dance is a style of Jazz that connects Jazz and Ballet together. You still have some isolations, but it's more truer to ballet than technical jazz.

dancersdreamland · Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 12:46 pm Post subject:

Thanks, Kuriin! I appreciate your feedback and explanation.

Medira · Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2005 3:19 pm Post subject:

To add a bit to this....

Kuriin wrote: Jazz - Technical and Traditional Jazz is the truest form of Jazz. It is difficult to describe it. If you've danced technical/tradition jazz, hiphop, and street/pop/funk jazz, and broadway jazz, you will know the difference. You can feel it.
Jazz follow more of a "structured" (not quite the word I was thinking of, but the best I could come up with) discipline than lyrical and modern, because both lyrical and modern tend to be regarded as more interpretive forms of dance.

Kuriin wrote: Modern - A rebellious form of Ballet. Isadora Duncan's technique "Free flow" and Doris Humphrey "fall and recovery" are best known to describe modern dance.
I tend to think of modern's main goal as interpreting the song, as opposed to choreographing a combination of steps in order to match the music.

Kuriin wrote: Lyrical dance is a style of Jazz that connects Jazz and Ballet together. You still have some isolations, but it's more truer to ballet than technical jazz.
Like Kuriin said, lyrical fits in somewhere between modern and ballet...and where it lies on that scale tends to rely heavily on the choreographer you're working with. I find that the main characteristic that defines lyrical is its' emphasis on expressing emotion.

Love2Dance · Joined: 05 Jun 2005 Posts: 30 Location: Ontario, Canada

that's all very helpfull! thanks everyone! :D

StarDance · Joined: 28 Aug 2006 Posts: 12

Also...Lyrical is suppose to tell a story