Salve Regina University presents “Take the Risk” Jazz Lounge at Ochre Court Dec. 3. (Salve Regina University)

Jazz dance and music lovers are invited to “Take the Risk,” a jazz lounge experience at Salve Regina University’s Ochre Court on Wednesday, Dec. 3.

Presented by the Salve dance program, the one-night-only performance celebrates improvisation and authenticity, where dancers and musicians react and respond in the moment.

The production is a collaboration between Salve adjunct faculty member Marcus Grant, a professional drummer, percussionist, musicologist and educator, and Salve dance program alumna Trinity Leite, a choreographer and performer dedicated to dance scholarship, research and pedagogy.

“By letting go of binaries and embracing uncertainty, we open ourselves to the opportunity of discovering something new,” Leite said of the jazz lounge theme.

The music, Grant noted, “will feature songs stretching generations of traditions within the African diaspora, from African American blues to Ghanaian high life. This music explores rhythms and grooves that speak directly to the body.”

The performance features Grant on drums, Andrew Wilcox on piano, Way Campbell on bass and Dan Liparini on guitar. Choreography is by Leite, composition by Grant, with improvisational structures co-created by Grant and Leite.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the first set beginning at 7:30 p.m. A cash bar will be available. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis, along with standing room at high-top tables.

Tickets are available at salve.edu/performances. General admission is $20, Salve faculty and staff $10, and Salve students $5.

Ryan Belmore is the owner and publisher of What's Up Newp. He took over the publication in 2012 and has grown it into a three-time Rhode Island Monthly Best Local News Blog (2018, 2019, 2020). He was named LION Publishers Member of the Year in 2020 and received the Dominique Award from the Arts & Cultural Society of Newport County the same year. He has been awarded grants for investigative and community journalism, and continues to coach and mentor new local news publications nationwide. Ryan...