Lesson 13: Fishtail
Jazz Steps I: The Essentials
As we discussed the roots of jazz lie deep in West African dance traditions, where it is a way of life. One of the characteristics of that tradition is animalistic imitations. You can definitely see it in many moves. Fish tail is one of them. "The rich verbal vocabulary of vernacular jazz dance movement often reflects the movement character and body usage... / Wing, Stomp, Fishtail, Black Bottom, Snake Hips..../ are among mpst recent examples of evidencing the strength of traditional roots and their continued influence" - Walter Nicks (Dance words) You can see Al Minns dancing fish tail in "The Spirit Moves" series on 04 min 44 sec (video)
As we discussed the roots of jazz lie deep in West African dance traditions, where it is a way of life. One of the characteristics of that tradition is animalistic imitations. You can definitely see it in many moves. Fish tail is one of them. "The rich verbal vocabulary of vernacular jazz dance movement often reflects the movement character and body usage... / Wing, Stomp, Fishtail, Black Bottom, Snake Hips..../ are among mpst recent examples of evidencing the strength of traditional roots and their continued influence" - Walter Nicks (Dance words) You can see Al Minns dancing fish tail in "The Spirit Moves" series on 04 min 44 sec (video)