Local professional dance company, Rooted Dance Projects, is hitting the stage this week with a jam-packed show, featuring jazz dance and music performances by some of Nova Scotia’s most talented professional and pre-professional dancers.

Take 5 is a mixed bill dance show, featuring choreography by Kathleen Doherty (Halifax), Catherine Hayward (Calgary), Erinn Liebhard (Minneapolis) and Stephanie Mitro (Halifax). Mitro’s piece features the Rooted Youth Project, with 19 dancers between ages 15-21 from across Nova Scotia, coming together for this special creation process.

The programme includes two pieces by Doherty: Count Me In, a new piece that explores a fun approach to keeping time as a collective between two dancers and a percussionist, and BASSline, a company repertoire well known for its highly physical movement and musicality.

Hayward’s piece titled: The light that devours her, explores themes of femininity and motherhood, which is danced by Rooted’s Artistic Director Kathleen Doherty, and features original music composed and performed by bassist Gabriella Ciurcovich.

Rounding out the programme, Take 5 will also feature short solo performances by some of Halifax’s most well-known dancers, including the Halifax Jazz Dance Icon herself: Penelope Evans. Penelope is one of the founding members of Halifax Dance and has been at the heart of the jazz dance community in Halifax for many decades. She takes the stage alongside Isaac Abriel, a long-time Rooted dancer and collaborator.

Take 5 features local professional dance artists: Isaac Abriel, Solène Bernier, Kathleen Doherty, Nathaniel Dooks, Penelope Evans, Michèle King, Sam Penner, Liliona Quarmyne, Georgia Skinner, Chris Van Green; musicians: Gabriella Ciurcovich and Caito MacDonald; and 19 pre-professional and emerging professional dancers in the Rooted Youth Project.

Take 5 promises to be a fun-filled night of celebrating jazz dance, with performances from dancers in their teens, all the way to their 70s – jazz leaves space for all.