Make Way : Jazz Dance in Motion Through Preservation and Towards Innovation
Date of Award
5-2018
Document Type
MSU-Only Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
College/School
College of the Arts
Department/Program
Theatre and Dance
Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair
Mark Hardy
Committee Member
Christian von Howard
Committee Member
Maxine Steinman
Abstract
The forward motion of jazz dance is dependent on both preservation and innovation. This thesis aims to explore how jazz stays connected to its deeply rooted origins while moving ahead in an ever-changing society. This is not a historical overview of jazz dance, nor is it an attempt to brand it with a universal definition. It is a personal interrogation of how jazz has earned its weight in the dance world through the roots and branches of its evolution and how I strive to move forward as a jazz educator and choreographer with reverence and significance. The history of jazz dance is rich and complex and my creative process aims to teach as well as to inspire. My interpretation of the art form continues to develop through the rhythmic dynamics, physical attributes, and stylistic influences inherent in the discipline, and my artistic identity continues to expand by responding to those elements in conjunction with my own intuition, education, and creative impulses. I look back to dance forward, sharing my voice with my students and with my audience.
File Format
MP4
Recommended Citation
Covin, Lisa Harvie, "Make Way : Jazz Dance in Motion Through Preservation and Towards Innovation" (2018). Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects. 211.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/etd/211
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Comments
The performance video is restricted to the Montclair State University community but the PDF file of the thesis, which is located at the bottom of the screen, is available to anyone interested in reading it.