Movement Meets Attitude: Talking about Jazz Funk with Austin

 

Jazz Funk, also known as street jazz, is a dance style that is a combination of hip-hop and jazz dance techniques. This style originated and started in the early 1980s, and grew during the emergence of hip-hop, borrowing a lot of moves from many other dance styles. From ballet to modern hip-hop and lyrical, it has taken bits and pieces of those genres and has made a unique style that is both fun and expressive in many ways. 

As an individual dance genre, the style came to the forefront in mainstream media on the sketch comedy show, "Living in Color," in the early 1990s. The choreographer Rosie Perez directed the "Fly Girls," which at the time included Jennifer Lopez and blended jazz techniques with hip-hop grooves. In the early 2000s, choreographers such as Brian Friedman, Kevin Maher, and Bobby Newberry really made this style a staple in dance culture. With the addition of hip-hop attitudes and the leaps, turns, and modern, dramatic expression of modern jazz, it created mannerisms that were different and truly took the 2000s by storm. 

The style became truly unstoppable and shone brighter than ever when it became used in many stage productions with icons such as Madonna, Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, and later on, Beyoncé, Gwen Stefani, and Lady Gaga using it heavily in their live concerts and music videos. Examples for each in their videos: "Vogue", "Express Yourself", and "Material Girl" for Madonna, "Miss You So Much", "Control", "Rhythm Nation", and "All Nite (Don't Stop)" for Janet Jackson, "Cold Hearted" and "Straight Up" for Paula Abdul, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" and "Crazy in Love" for Beyonce "Wind It Up" for Gwen Stefani, "Telephone", "Judas", and "Abracadbara" for Lady Gaga.

While the style includes the syncopation, groove, and attitude of hip-hop, it differs from hip-hop in that it remains rooted and grounded in jazz, with sharp arm movements, relevé, pirouettes, rolled shoulders, etc. It really showcases itself with its crisp musicality and lyrical fluidity, which makes it stand out because of the emotional interpretation, which can vary with the song, and how the body and mind connect in the dancer performing. 

Today, I will be chatting with Austin, the Intermediate Jazz Funk Instructor, about his story with the style and how the style has inspired him to teach others to be expressive, open-minded, and give life to the choreography that he teaches. But before we get into the interview, let's learn a little bit about Austin, shall we?

Austin is an award-winning choreographer, performer, and teaching artist whose work spans Off-Broadway and concert stages, music videos, and festivals across New York City. His choreography has been presented at renowned venues, including Steps on Broadway, Peridance Center, and La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. 

As a performer, Austin has danced for artists such as John Summit, Tatiana Lima, and Scout, and has appeared in the immersive theatrical experience "Zerospace" as well as the Off-Broadway premieres of "GEEKS!: The Musical" and "MANIFESTO: The Diaghilev Project". 

He earned his MFA in Dance from Hunter College, holds a BFA in Musical Theatre, and is currently developing and directing the dance program at Red Rocks Community College in Colorado.

Let's get into the interview!

1. What is your favorite thing about being an instructor at Elemental Studios?

Austin: "My favorite thing about teaching at Elemental is definitely the incredible community. I moved from NYC to Denver the same week that Elemental opened, and after growing tired of the competitive, audition-like feel of classes in New York, I was honestly nervous to try a class in Denver. But I immediately felt comfortable and welcomed at Elemental. Now, being able to help facilitate that same open, accepting energy feels like such a gift. I love that people from all walks of life come together here to share their love of dance and support one another."

2. How did you start your dance journey?

Austin: "I've been performing since I was 2 1/2. My mom was the director of a children's performing group, so she brought me to rehearsal as a baby...and once I could walk, she couldn't keep me off the stage. I've been training in dance, vocal performance, and acting ever since. 

My dance journey has taken a lot of different turns. I didn't grow up in a traditional studio setting; I mostly learned to dance through performing. When it came to hip-hop and breakin', my sister was dating a B-boy, and I was immediately obsessed with what he could do. He started teaching me in our garage, and by the time I was 10, I had joined a crew with him, my sisters, and other dancers in the community.

I went on to train more traditionally in jazz, musical theatre, ballet, contemporary, and more, once I got to college. Before that, though, most of my training came from performing and dancing within my community. That's why I'm a firm believer that the most important thing to learn how to dance is to do it in community with others."

3. What core foundations or techniques do you think that dancers should learn when doing jazz funk as a dance style?

Austin: "I think the most important foundation to grasp before coming into jazz funk class is basic groove-learning how to let your body respond naturally to the music. That helps you feel more comfortable navigating musicality, hitting accents, and staying in the pocket of the music. Once you have that, executing strong lines, shapes, turns, extensions, and changes in level becomes more accessible."

4. How do you approach dancing with both sharp and fluid movements in your choreography?

Austin: "I'm very clear when teaching choreography about whether a moment is meant to be fluid or sharp, so dancers can learn how to move through both. When it's sharp, it's all about engagement and finding the necessary tension in the body to deliver those accents. When it's fluid, it's about releasing, using your breath, and allowing the movements to connect. 

We work on both approaches in every warm-up in my class, so it feels more natural to navigate and access when it shows up in choreography. 

I love contrast in my choreography. So going super fast and then hitting a sharp stop, or using high levels and then dropping low. I approach fluidity and sharpness with the same intention: finding moments in the music that feel fluid and then punctuating them with something sharp or harsh so we can play with different dynamics. 

More often than not, it comes down to listening closely to the music and seeing how fluidity or sharpness fits within what's happening in the song--whether that's responding directly to the beat or vocal performance, or creating contrast by doing the opposite."

5. How do you blend classic jazz techniques into other dance genres?

Austin: "Fusion is one of my favorite things to explore in choreography, which is why I love jazz funk--it's a fusion style at its core. Since my classes are a learning environment first and foremost, I make sure students are working on classic jazz technique every week. I usually include turns, some type of extension or release, and changes in direction/footwork in each phase so that they're consistently getting that foundation. 

Beyond that, music choice plays a big role in blending styles. I look for songs that support both jazz and other genres. Tracks with strong beats or punchy vocal delivery, so you can fuse the fluidity and smoothness of jazz with more hard-hitting movement."

6. What are some hobbies/interests that you have outside of dance?

Austin: "I love reading, I write music and play guitar, I love being outdoors and traveling! But dance always finds its way into most of my activities."

7. What is one piece of advice you wish a teacher had given you before you decided to teach a class for the first time?

Austin: "It's advice I was given and something I still pass on to new teachers: OVERPREPARE. Always have more prepared than you'll need so you have something to fall back on. Then, once you're in the room, let things unfold naturally--but with that structure in place behind you. If you're teaching an hour-long class, plan for an hour and a half.  If you think you have the combo down, practice it ten times so you can discover new details. Come in with a clear goal for what you want your students to take away. We owe it to the people who show up for our classes to teach with intention and care. 

And just as important--connect with your students. Get to know them, understand their goals and needs. The more you connect with the room, the better the class will be."

8. How do you teach performance quality and confidence to shy students?

Austin: "When it comes to performing in class, people need to feel comfortable. What I've found most effective is leading by example by performing fully myself so dancers don't feel out of place. The more energy I bring, the more my students tend to match it. Keeping class fun, a little silly, and not overly serious helps people open up and become more willing to take performance notes.

I also give clear cues about the feeling of the dance. I try to highlight specific moments where a movement should feel a certain way or be delivered with a particular emotion. That guidance helps students understand not just what to do but how to perform it."

9. Is there a dance style that you would like to incorporate more of in your choreography?

Austin: "I love house dance, and I think it could be fun to incorporate some more house footwork and dynamics in my choreo in class. I also have a deep background in musical theatre, and I think it could be fun to incorporate more of the stylistic elements of musical theatre dance in my choreography."

10. If there was a student who wanted to try out your class but wasn't sure, what would you say?

Austin: "Come dance! Our class is full of accepting, caring, funny, and genuinely supportive people, and I truly believe that everyone can--and should--dance. It's a judgment-free space and a lot of fun, so even if you've never tried the style or are new to intermediate level classes, you'll be comfortable here."

Thank you, Austin, for taking the opportunity to interview with me. I really enjoyed getting to know you and your passion for teaching, as well as your love for dance. Make sure to go and take class with Austin on Tuesdays, bi-weekly at 6:15pm-7:15pm at Elemental Studios. Also, follow him on his Instagram at austin_mrqz to see what song he does for class each week that he teaches! 

See you all in the next interview.

Jazz Funk, also known as street jazz, is a fusion of hip-hop and jazz dance techniques. This style is represented as a dynamic, storytelling, grounded style that can showcase performance, fluid, and expressive movements that have helped build a foundation for commercial dance to expand to a wider audience in today's dance culture. 

The style came to light in the 1980s where