Andrew Morley

Jazz Take Home Test

Semester 3
1. Who was Jack Cole and for what is he given credit?
Jack Cole is credited as The Father of Theatrical Jazz Dance.
After being sent to boarding school and being repudiated by his
parents, Jack found himself in a career in dance. Along his way
he came to create an ethnically influenced style of jazz dance
that was initially thought only suitable for nightclubs and small
stages. Coles style included acrobatic movements and angular
positions. He also notably used smaller, tighter groups of
dancers, which was reminiscent of the time he spent dancing in
nightclubs like The Rainbow Room.
2. List the contributions of Bob Fosse and include three shows he
choreographed along with their styles.
Bob Fosse was very self-conscious. He did not like the shape of
his body, his balding head embarrassed him. He often wore
gloves to hide his hands. It may have been mostly this that
influenced the style that he created; one that would accentuate
the features of a body type outside the desired cookie cutter
show boy/girl appearance. This style quickly became popular
and easy to tell apart.
Fosses style focused largely on specificity. It was all in the way
he could draw the attention and eye of the entire audience right
down to the flick of a wrist or the rotation of a finger. Elements of
his choreographic style include turned-in knees, rolled shoulders,
sideways shuffling and jazz hands.
Fosse won a whopping 8 tony awards for choreography and one
as director. He was nominated for four academy awards and won
for his direction of Cabaret in 1972.
Bob Fosse choreographed many shows, including Sweet Charity,
Chicago and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.
3. What is the connection between George Balanchine and Jerome
Robbins and why is it important?
George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins co-founded the New York
City Ballet in 1948. Robbins would remain its Co-founding

Choreographer for 35 years alongside Balanchine as its ballet

master. This is significantly important because it is a growing
form of Balanchines School of American Ballet, which would
give it its own venues to perform in. Upon the addition of the
New York State Theatre (now the David H. Koch Theatre) it would
become the first ballet company in the united states to have two
venues at one time: the David H. Koch on 63rd in Manhattan, and
the Saratoga Performing Arts Centre in Saratoga Springs, NY.
The NYCB still holds the largest repertoire by far, staging sixty
ballets or more in its winter season at the David H. Koch, and
another twenty or more at Saratoga Springs. They have
produced such classics as The Nutcracker, A Midsummer
Nights Dream, and Romeo and Juliet. The NYCB trained many
great dancers.
4. What is Michael Bennett famous for and what productions does
he have to his credit?
Michael Bennett is famous his show of A Chorus Line. The
process that was used to birth A Chorus Line was very different
than any other. Michael took auditions for the show and sat down
with various dancers and performers to listen to them talk about
how they got to where they are. He recorded all of the
conversations and used the many, many hours of footage to
write the story of A Chorus Line. You will find on close inspection
that most if not all of the stories told in the show are adaptations
of true, real stories. Michael also choreographed the show, and
won over audiences with his spectacular use of lines and
synchronization.
Another thing Bennett is famous for is his style, or rather lack
there of. Instead, his choreography was driven by the nature of
each individual story, and the characters in them. He was one of
the first choreographers to really start using choreography as a
storytelling tool..
Michael Bennett choreographed some incerdible shows, including
A Chorus Line, Dreamgirls, Company, Follies, and Ballroom.
5. Give three examples of modern day choreographers with
examples of their work and the style they are most notable for.
a. Mia Michaels is famous for her work on So You Think You
Can Dance, and So You Think You Can Dance Canada as a
judge and contributing choreographer. Her main style is

contemporary dance, but she has choreographed a few

jazz pieces and even one described as lyrical jazz. Some
numbers she choreographed include One from A Chorus
Line, Gravity by Sara Bareilles and Will I from Rent.
b. Jerry Mitchel is an American music theatre choreographer
who continues to choreograph large scale Broadway shows.
He has choreographed Will Rodgers Follies, Brigadoon
and even Jekyl; and Hyde and The Full Monty. In 2013
he directed and choreographed Kinky Boots and won the
Tony for best choreography and was nominated for best
direction of a musical. He also holds the 2005 Drama Desk
Award for outstanding choreography in La Cage A Folles.
c. Sonya Tayeh, also a well known choreographer from
SYTYCD, but prior to that she actually moved to California
to run a dance studio. It was there that she developed her
own unique dance style that she calls Combat Jazz. She
says Its staccato, aggressive and engaged, even when
its slow. Fun fact: she calls Bjork (singer) her ultimate
hero, and one of her top influences.