Salve’s dance program to showcase jazz in “Rhythm & Sounds” performances

Salve Regina’s Extensions Dance Company, directed by associate professor Lindsay Guarino, will present “Rhythms & Sounds” at the Casino Theatre on Thursday, Feb. 8, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 9, at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, Feb. 10, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are free for Salve Regina students with a valid ID; $8 for Salve Regina faculty and staff; $12 for children, military and seniors; and $15 for general admission.

“Rhythms & Sounds” will take audiences on a journey of propulsive rhythms and soulful sounds. Dancers will swing and share stories in the syncopated vernacular of Black American dance with works inspired by West African, Afro-Cuban and Ethiopian movement.

Carlos R.A. Jones, adjunct faculty in Salve’s dance program and chair of dance at State University of New York (SUNY) Brockport, will be presenting two pieces in the performance that explore movement within the jazz continuum. Jones seeks to capture the essence of joy within his work, as he believes it is an invaluable part of the human experience.

Carlos R.A. Jones, adjunct faculty at Salve, and will be presenting two choreographed pieces in “Rhythm & Sounds.” 

“The beauty about working in a jazz space is that you can live in it, go somewhere and find it,” Jones said. “Joy is underrated …. Dance does not always have to be angsty or tragic. Joy is just as, if not more, profound.”

Jones also serves as a mentor for student choreographers at Salve while teaching DNC-401 Dance Composition and will advise them as they develop their own choreographic works for the program’s April concert.

Haley Andrews ’18, adjunct faculty in Salve’s dance program, will be presenting a contemporary piece entitled “Are You a Friend of Dorothy?” in the concert, which debuted this past August at Rhode Island Women’s Choreography Project 2023.

“I had the pleasure of working with the Salve’s dance program to re-stage my most recent work ‘Are You a Friend of Dorothy?,’” Andrews said. “This work is inspired by the queer joy, love and resilience I have had the privilege of witnessing throughout my own life so far.”

“The piece calls attention to concepts like chosen family, identity and camaraderie, while reminding us of the challenges and dangers that the queer community face on a regular basis,” Andrews said.

Haley Andrews, adjunct faculty in Salve’s dance program, will present a contemporary piece. 

“Rhythms & Sounds” will feature students’ works, including “Artemis,” choreographed by Trinity Leite ’25, which premiered last year and was presented at WAXWorks in New York City last November.

This program also features choreography by faculty members Ashley Rich Omisore and Mekbul Tahir; guest artists Kimberley Cooper of Decidedly Jazz Danceworks from Calgary, Alberta, and Maurice Watson from University of North Carolina Greensboro; and students Livia Armstrong ’25 and Taylor Steeves ’25.

Tickets can be purchased online. They will also be available immediately prior to each performance at the box office. For the most up-to-date information, follow the dance program on Instagram or Facebook.