Call for Authors
Jazz Dance Book for Performers, Choreographers, and Educators
21st Century Jazz Dance: Africanist Aesthetics and Equity in Choreography and Pedagogy (working title)
Edited by Lindsay Guarino, Carlos Jones, & Wendy Oliver
This book will build upon our first book, Jazz Dance: A History of the Roots and Branches, with a focus on the 21st century and the practice of creating and teaching jazz dance today. Roots and Branches offered perspectives on what jazz dance is through a comprehensive account of its history, including the artists that shaped 20th century jazz techniques and styles. This book will take the historical considerations a step further, providing artists and educators the knowledge and tools to create and teach jazz dance from a place of respect and homage. Specifically, the book will recognize and value the voices/perspectives/practices that have been historically oppressed, marginalized and erased due to race, gender, sexuality, and culture.
The overarching sections of the book include: I) The place of jazz dance in 21st century United States; II) Evaluating aesthetics; III) Choreography & performance of jazz dance; and IV) Teaching jazz dance.
We seek authors for many chapters within the book. The chapters in parentheses will be authored or compiled by the editors, or they have already been assigned to another author. Please contact us if you would like to propose a chapter that is not listed, but relates to the theme of the book.
PART I: Place of Jazz Dance in 21st century United States
(1-An overview of jazz dance in the US today, with an emphasis on mapping and demographics. Who is practicing jazz dance today? Where, and in what types of spaces, institutions, or venues?) – Melanie George
2-The stature of jazz dance today in the dance world, academe, and popular culture, including a look at grants and awards given in the field and how many go to jazz dance artists
(3-Racism and appropriation in jazz dance, including synopsis of past history and erasure of roots and its repercussions in the dance studio, in the classroom, and on the professional stage) – Moncell Durden
(4-Gender in jazz dance: an examination of equity between men, women, and non-binary practitioners in the field) – Wendy Oliver
(5-Future of jazz dance in the 21st century – what are the possibilities?)– Michele Moss
PART II: Evaluating aesthetics
6-Jazz aesthetics: a review of Africanist and European elements and their interplay in various styles – how do we use the words “style” and “technique” as they relate to jazz? How can we restore Africanist aesthetics as the foundation for jazz movement (rather than ballet technique)?
7 -Glossary of Africanist elements in jazz dance
(8 – Analysis of social/kinetic characteristics in select jazz works across a variety of styles)- editors
Part III: Choreography & performance of jazz dance
9-How jazz dance companies today express the roots and branches of the jazz aesthetic, and what elements are altered or omitted
10-Creating jazz dances from a place of respect and homage (what is concert jazz dance? Are there concert jazz master works? Do critics evaluate jazz in the same way they do ballet and contemporary?)
(11-Conversations among jazz dance choreographers about their work and aesthetic)– Carlos Jones
12-A look at a sampling of current choreographers and the interplay of Africanist and European elements in their work
13-Hypersexualization of roles and body stereotypes in jazz performance; marginalization of nonconformists
14-Demographics of race/gender in professional jazz dance companies
15-Jazz festival producers: how they determine what is jazz dance, looking at performance across jazz festivals (Paris Jazz Roots, JCE Jazz Dance Project, Montreal Swing Riots, etc.)
16-The future of jazz dance companies and performance
PART IV: Teaching jazz dance
17- Overview of how jazz dance is taught/learned socially, recreationally, competitively, and expectations/skills/demands within specific jazz styles
(18- Pedagogical questions and student perspectives – teaching jazz to a diverse population) – Pat Cohen
(19- Restructuring the jazz technique class around jazz energy, groove and community) – Lindsay Guarino
(20- Preparing a historically-informed lecture-demonstration for K-12 students) – Lynette Overby
21, 22, 23 – Tools for teaching dance in socially conscious, historically informed ways (looking for authors to discuss innovative curricula, jazz pedagogy, etc.)
(24- Teaching jazz dance composition) – Melanie George
Appendix
(25-Sample assignments for use in jazz technique, composition, or dance history classes) – editors
(26-Musical selections for jazz class: an annotated listing) – editors
IF INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE ABOVE TOPICS, PLEASE SUBMIT A 500-WORD ABSTRACT TO WENDY OLIVER VIA E-MAIL (woliver@providence.edu) BY MAY 30, 2019.
Editor Bios
Wendy Oliver, MFA, EdD, co-edited Jazz Dance: A History of the Roots and Branches with Lindsay Guarino. She has edited six additional books and authored Writing about Dance, by Human Kinetics. She has published articles in JODE, DRJ, RIDE, Dance Chronicle, and other journals, and has contributed chapters to edited collections including Women Making Art (Peter Lang) and Staging Age (Palgrave). She has also taught and studied jazz dance in the past; she currently is full professor at Providence College and serves as Editor of Journal of Dance Education.
Lindsay Guarino MFA, co-edited Jazz Dance: A History of the Roots and Branches with Wendy Oliver. She has extensively studied, performed, and choreographed in a variety of jazz styles, and is passionate about teaching in ways that honor the roots and energy of jazz while building community in the classroom. Guarino is a professor for the National Dance Education Organization’s Online Professional Development Institute, teaching Jazz Dance Theory and Practice which she designed in 2017. She planned and hosted NDEO’s first jazz dance conference in 2016 and is orchestrating the next for 2019. She is currently associate professor and director of the dance program at Salve Regina University in Newport, RI.
Carlos Jones, MFA, spent his early career as a performer of television and film, musical theater and concert dance. He now works nationally as a director and choreographer with an emphasis on American Vernacular song and dance. His concert work investigates the “groove” present in the music and dance from societies around the globe. Jazz dance and the Africanist Aesthetic are his springboard for creating work. Having served on the faculties of a number of institutions, Jones is a tenured professor of musical theater and dance at Buffalo State. His current position is Associate Dean of Arts and Humanities. Jones was a contributing author to in Jazz Dance: A History of the Roots and Branches.
