**** Recommended I loved watching the company of Trinity Irish Dance 35 performing in the intimate Edlis Neeson Auditorium at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The dancers are strong, athletic and precise while executing some of the most difficult dance steps you’ll ever see and it was a lot easier to watch their footwork in the smaller space. By the way, they are nothing like the Irish dancers you see everywhere around St. Pat’s Day. What they do is more like an Irish drill team than Riverdance. In fact, it’s a hybrid of Irish step and American tap. An Irish band onstage makes the performance even more unique. 4 BIG Spotlights
A New Dawn, choreographed by Mark Howard in 2018, to music by Winston Damon with Liz Carroll. Additional movement: Richard Griffin; Costumes by Shamrock Stitchery; Lighting by Julie E. Ballard, USA 829.
The program describes A New Dawn as a ‘folk dance for the future at breakneck speed,’ and it’s impossible to come up with a better description. It seemed lõike the dancers were flying across the stage! Some steps/leaps I recognized as traditional Irish step, others were new to me.
Mark Howard originally created The Black Rose for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1991. He then reset it in 2004. Howard’s 2023 reset is choreographed to music by Winston Damon with Liz Carroll. Words and Voice: Chelsea Hoy; \Lighting by Al Crawford.
Wearing blue, vaguely Japanese costumes by Amanda Gladu, and occasionally beating drum sticks held in each hand together, the dancers performed to drumming performed live on stage by Steven Rutledge playing an ancient Irish Lambeg drum.
Sparks was choreographed by Mark Howard, Ali Doughty and Patrick Grant with music by Jake James. Their costumes were designed by Golden Eire Designs & Cecelia Sheraton. What a pleasure to see World Solo Champions Doughty and Grant dancing solo and together to the fiddle mastery of Jake James.
The world premiere of The Sash featured choreography by Mark Howard, Chelsea Hoy and Stephanie Martinez to an interesting musical score including Alternative 12th & Big Love by Kevin Sharkey; Crush by Mark Howard (Mike Altergott - keyboards & guitar, Jake James - banjo); voice by Eva Birthistle and text by George Bernard Shaw. Wearing off white sleeveless tops and pedal pushers (designed by Lauren Carmen) the entire company jumped and postured in aggressive, warlike positions. This piece also featured a duet, Francisco Lemus and guest artist Taylor Yocum.
Push, choreographed by Mark Howard, is a completely different kind of piece. Some of the dancers wore black (the guys in kilts, the girls in pedal pushers), some wore the same. outfit designed by Cathy Fitzmaurice, but in orange with a black stripe. This very percussive piece with mostly Irish steps, was performed mostly in a circle with the TID band in the middle. It was a chance for the dancers to show off their individual talents.
American Traffic, choreographed by Michelle Dorrance and Melinda Sullivan to drums and hand percussion by Steven Rutledge, combined Irish step and American tap in a whole new rhythmic way. Another awesome dance!
The company didn’t perform Taking the Mick at my performance. When I asked about it, I was told a key dancer was injured on Friday.
I’ve mentioned the TID band a couple of times but haven’t given them the credit they’re due. They provided all the live music as well as entertaining the audience with a song or two while dancers changed costumes. Their songs, McDonald Creek and Be Here Still were composed and sung by Brendan O’Shea, who also plays the guitar. Other band members include Christopher Devlin, guitar and vocals; Jake James, fiddle and bodhrán; Steven Rutledge, percussionist; and guest musician, Tommy Sagins, percussionist. Just a note: when I was in Ireland, in every pub I visited, I heard music just like this, played on a fiddle, or a banjo or guitar, even on a tin whistle, but always with a bodhrán (an Irish drum).
The Trinity Irish Dance company includes Annabelle Abbott, Madeleine Cabral, Audrey Chann, Courtney D;Angelo, Ali Doughty, Michael Fleck, Lydia Fredrick, Maeve Galla, Patrick Grant, Anna Gorman, Chelsea Hoy, Shannon Kearney, Francisco Lemus, Phife MacGabhann, Margaret Nalley, Sydney Niewiedzial, Rachel Olsen, Ava Schaeffel and Reilly Sedlacek.
In response to interest from elite dancers, TID has started a training company including Jillian Ciotola, Soffa Dorantes, Meaghan Kilmartin, Katie McCoy, Saori Nakasone Nakanurakari, Micah Roby and Addie Sullivan.
Driving into the city from my home in Indiana is usually not an issue. When Beyoncé is in town, however, everything changes! Unfortunately for me, I was heading for the MCA on May 17th, which meant I had to drive straight through all the Beyoncé traffic. When we finally got there, parked and walked two blocks from the garage, it was 7:29 and they’d closed the doors. We missed the first dance, Soles, completely.
Next up for Trinity Irish Dance:
- An invitation to perform at Jacob’s Pillow in Becket, MA, July 10th through 13th. They are the first Irish dance company to be invited to this prestigious dance festival.
- An appearance at Dance for Life at the Auditorium Theatre on August 16th.
- A full program at the Auditorium February 28, 2026.