Dance program’s fall performance “Uncommon Groove” will highlight the spirit of jazz
The dance program at Salve Regina is putting its annual fall performance at the Casino Theatre on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 9, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Please purchase tickets online at salve.edu/performances.
Directed by Lindsay Guarino, associate professor of dance, the performance is entitled “Uncommon Groove” and will celebrate the spirit of jazz.
“Centering jazz dance, a historically marginalized Black American dance form, is a most unusual thing for a University dance program to do,” said Guarino. “In the uncommon is where we’ve found our groove, and we do so with infinite respect for the history of the form and the shoulders we stand on.”
This concert features choreography by students Livia Armstrong ’25, Morgan Dubay ’24, Reed Duncan ’25, Sara Green ’25, Trinity Leite ’25, Julia Paulo ’25, Mackenzie Robichaud ’24, Jala Settles ’25, Taylor Steeves ’25 and Natalia Taborga ’24.
There will also be choreography by guest artist Kimberley Cooper, artistic director of Decidedly Jazz Danceworks in Calgary, Canada.
“Kimberley just wrapped up an international tour with stops across Canada and at the prestigious Jacob’s Pillow in Western Massachusetts,” Guarino described. “Kimberley’s voice is distinct and deeply informed by jazz history, music, and spirit. She has spent her career at Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, a company and school that has been centering and amplifying jazz dance since 1984 …. Her work has been an important touchstone for these students as they look beyond Salve to see where the values of jazz dance and music live in professional settings.”
Kimberley Cooper
Salve Regina students participate in the swing class in Rodgers on August 7.
Most of the dancers in the Extensions Dance Company are majoring in dance at Salve Regina and are in the studio training every day. Salve Regina’s dance program has a jazz dance focus in the curriculum, made visible in performance through the aesthetic of the company. Even the pieces that lean towards contemporary rather than jazz still highlight the way rhythm, individuality, and dynamic energy are central to the way Salve Regina’s dancers work.
The Casino Theatre is located at 9 Freebody Street in Newport, Rhode Island. Tickets are free for Salve Regina students, $8 for Salve Regina faculty and staff, $10 for military and seniors, and $15 for general admission.
Please purchase tickets online at salve.edu/performances. Tickets will also be available immediately prior to each performance at the box office. For the most up-to-date information, follow Salve Regina Dance on Instagram or Facebook.
