One of the most recognisable jazz steps is the jazz walk, which is basically sliding on the floor in plié through the articulation of the feet. I often wear leopard print just to remind the dancers to aim to be as light as a cat with that smooth agility. I also do it to make people smile when I surrender my whole being into cat mode and miaow. Some characteristics that you can recognise jazz dance from are the dynamics with the relationship to rhythm. There’s no jazz dance without embodying the rhythm. The aim is to move your body quickly and easily just like an animal on the hunt for prey, adjusting the body to different tempos and volumes of movement. To be able to catch your victim it’s important to plan clearly and act with focus and precision. This is all I know about hunting and oh so accurate for the art of dancing the jazz.
The foot work is so important because at the same time it’s necessary to drop the weight and surrender to the gravity in the same instant that you have to pick yourself up again and go for the kill. That’s why I’ve been dancing in jazz dance shoes forever. To protect my feet and to be able to slide as I please to never lose a chase.
- Slides & drags
To avoid all future skin burns that sting like a bee in the shower, cover your feet from the slides and the drags to go full out without having to worry about burning through your socks or even worse – your skin.
2. Turning point
There’s a leather pad on the sole of the foot perfectly placed for you to find your balance better for the turns and to keep turning.
3. Kill the impact
The heel has a cushion which will help you land your jumps after your profound use of the plié. The heels will save you from the jolt but keep in mind that without a good dance technique no shoe can save you so make sure to take your classes and apply your corrections.
That’s why I’m so happy to announce my collaboration with Dance Makers dance store in Helsinki, Finland. All of my dancers and dance students can now get -10% off of everything in the selection, including my favorite jazz dance shoe, from Sancha, the fabric Soho-shoe. By telling the cashier that you’re my student, you can get the discount or In case you’d like to shop online you can use the code WEK66.
https://dancemakers.fi/p37560/sansha-varrellinen-jazztossu-jb3-soho
Your favorite shoe addict,
Wilma-Emilia at the #danceyourheartoutsessions
