The origin of jazz dance can be traced back to Africa. In Africa, it was customary for natives to dance as a celebration of life cycles such as birth, puberty, marriage and death. This was to express their cultural beliefs. Drums, stringed instruments, music boxes, flutes and other percussion instruments provide rhythm to the dancers. When slaves were brought to America they continued to interpret life through dance. However, their dances, although based on African traditions, were influenced by the European background of the plantation owners, so the dances changed. In 1817, New Orleans designated an area of ​​the park called Congo Square for African dance and informal musical improvisation. That was the breeding ground for many jazz musicians and artists and served as an important gathering place for one of New Orleans' most famous exports, the entirely American art form called jazz. But the dance continued to evolve, mostly settling into a vibrant style known as jazz dance that we now call tap. Watching slaves dance led whites to stereotypes. Whites began blacking their faces and imitating slave dancers as early as the 1800s. John Durang, one of America's first professional dancers, described parts of his routine in 1789 as containing "shuffles," a movement of slave dancers. The world's first dance that imitated slave dancers was Thomas Rice's ""Jump Jim Crow"" in 1828. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Jazz dancing parallels the birth and spread of jazz itself from roots in black American society and was popularized in dance halls by the big bands of the swing era. Since the 1920s jazz dance has signified an ever-evolving form of popular and artistic dance movement. As popular culture changes, so does jazz dance. Individuality and improvisation are fundamental in jazz dance. In both early dances and 20th century jazz dances, there is remarkable continuity of dance elements and movements. Eagle rock and slow drag as well as the Charleston and jitterbug have elements in common with certain Caribbean and African dances. Additionally, slow resistance contributed to the 1950s fishery; the ring cry, which survived from the 18th to the 20th century, in isolated areas, influenced the cakewalk. Around 1900 the cakewalk, popularized through theatrical performances, became a craze in European and American ballrooms. In its wake other social dances appeared such as the Charleston, the jitterbug, the twist, the Black Bottom, the Boogie Woogie, the Swing, the Lindy Hop and the disco dance. Some, like the foxtrot, borrowed European dance steps and adapted them to jazz rhythms. The growth of radio, television and recording, which popularized black music with a wide audience, greatly aided the spread of these dances. The fusion of ballet with jazz has led in recent years to the formation of companies such as the Canadian Les Ballets Jazz.