A talk bringing together leading voices from academia, dance and cultural history to explore the legacy of African Diaspora dance in Britain.
Join us to celebrate the opening of Jazz Dance in British Culture, an exhibition exploring how African Diasporic Jazz dance has shaped British culture from the 18th century to the present day, from the Cakewalk to UK Jazz.
From music halls to contemporary street dance, the exhibition celebrates 200 years of movement, creativity, resilience and cultural exchange, showing how Black dance helped shape Britain’s dance identity.
It will be the first exhibition of its kind in Britain focused on dance.
Speakers for this talk will include Annette Walker, currently undertaking doctoral research on Buddy Bradley, and Jreena Green, who developed the academic module Charleston to Hip Hop. The panel also features Gary Nurse, a key figure in UK jazz dance and member of IDJ (I Dance Jazz).
This event is presented as part of Black History Month and is accompanied by the Swinging at the Savoy performance evening.
Fees £5-£9
Find out more and book tickets.
About the Jazz Dance Collective:
The Jazz Dance Collective is an educational hub for Tap Dance, Authentic Jazz, and UK Jazz. The Collective brings together the knowledge of Jazz, encompassing both its history and practice. These three disciplines of Jazz dance link its foundation and evolution, providing a coherent line to educate the future generation. Members of the Collective join together in projects, sharing space and discussion. The Collective works together to investigate and contribute to expanding the knowledge of Jazz using the wealth of information from its different aspects.
The Jazz Dance Collective is an organisation that is making Jazz history the foundation of its practice. Jazz was created by African Americans, emerging at a period to liberate the people from the pain and inequality of the New World. It was born out of oppression but gave great freedom to the wider African diaspora, working through pain and hardship using skill and joy. Jazz enriches and frees the soul.
Social Media: @jazz_dance_collective