Jazz Dance Congress Struts into KenCen

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"The Kennedy Center approached us about having our Jazz Dance World Congress here over the Fourth of July. They wanted to celebrate with an American art form. Well, you can't get any more American than jazz," Gus Giordano says.

This week Mr. Giordano and the center are co-sponsoring the sixth Jazz Dance World Congress, which is attracting more than 700 members and participants. One hundred dancers, choreographers and directors are due from Japan, where last year's congress was held. Groups are headed here from Guam, Mexico and Germany (which will host the 1997 congress), and from all over the United States.

"The dancing in `West Side Story' was the breakthrough for classic jazz in the '50s," Mr. Giordano declares, "and having the Jazz Dance World Congress perform at the Kennedy Center this year is going to be the breakthrough for jazz dance in the '90s."

Mr. Giordano, the recognized leader in the field of jazz dance and founder of the dance congress, circles the …