Jamming in

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

culture is a kind of informal show-off during a

social dance Social dances are dances that have a social functions and context. Social dances are intended for participation rather than performance. They are often danced merely to socialise and for entertainment, though they may have ceremonial, competit ...

party. Dancers clear a circle (jam circle or dance circle) and dancers or dance couples take turns showing their best tricks while the remaining dancers cheer the jammers on. While some jam circles are staged, most form organically and spontaneously when the energy and mood is right.

Jam circles

The term originated during the

swing era The swing era (also frequently referred to as the big band era) was the period (1933–1947) when big band swing music was the most popular music in the United States. Though this was its most popular period, the music had actually been aroun ...

of dancing, probably borrowed or appeared in parallel with the expression "

jam session A jam session is a relatively informal musical event, process, or activity where musicians, typically instrumentalists, play improvised solos and vamp over tunes, drones, songs, and chord progressions. To "jam" is to improvise music without exte ...

" in music. Scenes with jamming may be seen in movies and

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

s, such as '' Hellzapoppin''. At the same time, this kind of dance behavior is not unusual in folk dances in various cultures all over the world and is often included in scenic performances when a group dance is interweaved with several solos. In

Lindy hop The Lindy Hop is an American dance which was born in the Black communities of Harlem, New York City, in 1928 and has evolved since then. It was very popular during the swing era of the late 1930s and early 1940s. Lindy is a fusion of many danc ...

, it is common for jam circles to take place on or around special occasions such as birthdays or weddings. In these cases, the person(s) being celebrated will usually stay in the circle for the duration of the jam and, rather than dance one song with one partner, will dance one song but swap partners many times throughout. For Flamenco dancing, the circle is called a juerga.

Cypher circles

Specific to the

bboying Breakdancing, also called breaking or b-boying/b-girling, is an athletic style of street dance originating from the African American and Puerto Rican communities in the United States. While diverse in the amount of variation available in ...

culture, cypher circles hold the similar concepts as jam circles. When one or two bboys/bgirls get together to dance, it is known as jamming. But when enough bboys/bgirls get together to make a circle where one can break in, it is known as "cyphering". Cyphering takes place at nearly every bboying jam that takes place. It is a way to show one's experience, the flavor they put into their style, and in some cases, specifically to "burn" or "smoke" another breaker.

Dance circles

A variant of the 'show case' style jam circles is a circle where dancers within the circle swap partners from the outside. Less "showy" than a jam circle, these jams are to commemorate an occasion for the person(s) in the circle. Another way to consider the difference is that while the jam circles showcase ability, the dance circles here showcase dancers. For example, this kind of jam circle may be organized when a dancer from the local dance community celebrates a birthday, or is moving away. Other occasions for these jams include a welcome dance for new members and/or visitors. Many of these circles are a planned portion of the evening. The dancers of honor stay in the circle the whole time while other dancers from outside the circle cut in 'on the fly'. Dancers "break in", or "steal", their way into the middle by breaking the connection of the dancers and inserting themselves such that the person of honor continues dancing without missing a beat. Some scenes do this in an organized fashion (such as a line), however, many do so without rules. Such birthday jams are common in

swing dance Swing dance is a group of social dances that developed with the swing style of jazz music in the 1920s–1940s, with the origins of each dance predating the popular "swing era". Hundreds of styles of swing dancing were developed; those that hav ...

and hustle communities in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

but not unusual in

salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: A ...

tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...

. While nerve-wracking for beginning dancers the jams do help to meet the local crowd.

Dance off

This form of jamming often occurs during prom, high school or college dance parties. What happens is that during the dances, the dancers would form a circle, and often, one by one, the dancers, individually or by a group, would come into the circle and display their dancing abilities. The style of dancing is popular amongst

hip hop dance Hip hop dance is a range of street dance styles primarily performed to hip hop music or that have evolved as part of hip hop culture. It is influenced by a wide range of styles that were created in the 1970s and made popular by dance crews in t ...

rs.

Charleston jams

This variant of jam circle typically does not involve much of an audience. While a few competitions have staged Charleston jams and competitions, almost always they happen on their own when a few dancers start doing solo Charleston next to each other. Eventually the dancers form a circle and dance solo charleston while watching each other. These jams occur frequently at most

Lindy Hop The Lindy Hop is an American dance which was born in the Black communities of Harlem, New York City, in 1928 and has evolved since then. It was very popular during the swing era of the late 1930s and early 1940s. Lindy is a fusion of many danc ...

events.

References