Context and background Since World War 2, Jazz dance in the Netherlands is a popular dance form that developed itself in the sixties of last century to a theatrical dance form that formed the basis for many theatre and musical productions. The Jazz dance vocabulary has specific guidelines and passed again and again from generation to generation by famous jazz dance teachers like Rick Odums, Geraldine Armstrong, Matt Mattox en Lynn Simonson. Presently, jazz dance appears to be assimilated by other dance forms and lost its own identity. (source: Jazzdance.nl - Marga Douma-Alta, 2006) Through the project Jazzdance Alive!, the Douma-Alta Foundation is providing young dancers the opportunity to pass on this cultural heritage to their own generation, in this way taking the development of jazz dance into the 21st century. Goals The goal of Jazzdance Alive! is to submerge young dancers for three weeks into an environment in which several jazz dance forms will be teached to them by the IFP Rick Odums in Paris. They will encounter the knowledge of the jazz dancers of MO Better Jazz and will train and choreograph together with them and be inspired to internalize the various jazz dans techniques. Profile and number of participants The group consists of sixteen dancer/choreographers that either just graduated or are in their last year of a recognized jazz education. It will be asked from dancers to be open towards new insights on the field of jazz dance, make contact with the French dancers and to be actively involved in the French language and culture. Description of activities The dancers will take three dance lessons each day, conduct interviews about jazz dance culture with the teachers of the IFP Rick Odums and network with the MO Better Jazz dancers. Participant will also study and actively participate in French language and culture by attending cultural activities in Paris like visiting certain museums and theatrical shows. Project methodology 1: Participant will be selected through an audition and intake conversations 2: Participants will sign a contract that binds them to all required aspects of the project 3: Participants will attend workshops on jazz dance history, French language and culture 4: Participants will travel and stay for three weeks in Parijs, joined by two project leaders 5: Participants will attend three dance courses each day 6: Participants will attend cultural events in Paris 7: Participants will conduct interviews with teachers of IFP Rick Odums 8: Participants will reach out to the French dancers and exchange contact information, in order to stay in touch through social media after the stay in Paris, so broadening their international network. 9: Participants will record their experiences in video diaries 10: Participants will be evaluated at the end of their Paris weeks by IFP Rick Odums and the Douma-Alta Foundation. 11: Participants will attend the evaluation session in the Netherlands after they have returned 12: Participants will organise and host at least 1 workshop and/or jazz dance demonstration during the tour that will be organised by the projects leaders at Dutch dance schools. 13: Participants will receive a certificate of participation of the Douma-Alta Foundation and a Europass certicate after succesfully ending the project. Results and impact The video diaries will be published on the site of the Douma-Alta Foundation: http://www.douma-alta.com/projecten-ja-nl.html Because of the tour with workshops and jazz dance demonstrations, and the continuing dance performing and teaching practice of the participants, knowledge and skills that have been built will be transferred to a new generation of dancers in the Netherlands. In the long term, this project will contribute to the preservation of the cultural jazz dance heritage. Passing on the Jazz dance methods, jazz dance culture and the various jazz dance movement techiques will enrich the field of Dutch dance art.