Welcome to the Routine Rewind series on the Diamond Dolls blog!
Image Source: Morgan Petroski
We will be taking a look back at some of our past routines and giving them a historical and cultural context covering things from song inspirations, artist highlights, discussing the origins of the dance styles, and more. Join us on the first of every month right here to follow this new series.
This month we are taking a look back at the inspiration behind our routine “Hot Jazz”.
King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, Chicago c. 1923 L-R: Honore Dutrey, trombone; Baby Dodd, drums; King Oliver, cornet; Louis Armstrong (center), cornet; Lil Hardin, piano; Bill Johnson, banjo; Johnny Dodds, clarinet. Photo courtesy The Frank Driggs Collection.
Image Source: https://riverwalkjazz.stanford.edu/?q=program/behind-every-great-man-lil-hardin-and-louis-armstrong
THE MUSICAL INSPIRATION: HOT JAZZ
The Diamond Dolls Hot Jazz routine was set to the tune of "Some of These Days" covered by the Baby Soda Jazz Band. “Some of These Days” was written in 1910 by Shelton Brooks, a Canadian-born African American composer of popular music and jazz, and associated to Sophie Tucker, a burlesque-vaudeville singer. Brooks got the score to Tucker through a connection he had with her maid. The next day, Tucker performed it on stage in Chicago. “Some of These Days” sold more than two million copies on the sheet music market. The song has been covered many times over the years and often in the style of Hot Jazz.
Hot Jazz was created in New Orleans in the early 1900s. It is a blend of ragtime, blues, and brass band marches and was an integral part of the city.! Hot Jazz was played at community events ranging from dances to funerals. Like most, if not all jazz styles, improvisation is an essential aspect of New Orleans Jazz. The popularity of Louis Armstrong’s early bands was significant in spreading Hot Jazz to Chicago and New York. In the 1930s, a surge of swing bands pushed hot jazz groups out of the clubs.
Typically, a Hot Jazz ensemble includes a clarinet, trombone, trumpet (or cornet), tuba, banjo, and drums. The highest pitched brass instrument leads the melody for the majority of the song and the lowest pitched brass instrument holds the bass line. The banjo establishes the chords and drums keep the song on a steady beat. The remaining instruments typically dance around the melody and bass line.
LISTEN TO SOME HOT JAZZ:
Willie the Weeper by Louis Armstrong
Black Bottom Stomp by Jelly-Roll Morton and His Red Hot Peppers recorded in 1926
Image Source: Steve Hwan
THE CHOREOGRAPHY INSPIRATION
The focus of the routine Hot Jazz was African American Vernacular Jazz, specifically solo jazz and charleston. This routine was inspired by many of the well-known jazz dancers and movements of the mid-2000s including Frida Segerdahl, Jojo Jackson, Hanna Zetterman, Mattias Lundmark and Sakarias Larsson.This was a unique routine for the Diamond Dolls as the choreography fused a mix of competitiveness and comradery between the dancers. Chaotic movement was contrasted with tight formations. To match the music, this routine had more improvisation and individual solo styling than previous routines that focused on the uniform aesthetics of chorus lines. This routine also pulls in an overall feel, costume inspiration, and a few sweet tricks from the 1992 film Newsies, directed and choreographed by Kenny Ortega.
Newsies is a musical based on the New York City newsboy strike of 1899. Young newspaper sellers set out to enact change when they are exploited beyond reason by their bosses. The choreography in the film is lively, powerful, and enthusiastic. Similar to the film, the movements in Hot Jazz display a tough, strong attitude that says "don't mess with me" and "check out what I can do.”
WATCH SOME CHOREOGRAPHY INSPIRATION:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LAo6vaBEyk
Image Source: Morgan Petroski
THE COSTUME INSPIRATION
The costume inspiration also comes from Newsies and some of the clothing worn by dancers of the mid-2000s era. Performers chose their own oxford-style footwear and colorfully patterned socks to pair with accessories like newsboy caps, suspenders and ties. Similar to Newsies, there was an overall mismatched look in each group, so not everyone was wearing the same costume pieces. The colors focused on sepia tones like brown, beige, white, burnt orange, muted mustard, and small amounts of cranberry. The costumes referenced both vintage and modern menswear/newsboy looks including: high-waisted pleated pants, flowy blouses, suspenders, bow ties/ties, vests, oxford shoes, newsboy caps, and high socks with cropped pants.
FUN FACTS ABOUT THIS ROUTINE:
1st Diamond Dolls routine open to all genders with Diamond Dudes performing
1st Diamond Dolls routine with individual spotlighted solos
1st Diamond Dolls routine with dueling group solos
