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Trinity Irish Dance Company

Featured for the First Time at Jacob's Pillow

By: - Jul 14, 2025

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Trinity Irish Dance Company
Jacob’s Pillow
Ted Shawn Theatre/ McCain Stage
July 10-13, 2025

Founding artistic director, Mark Howard
Associate artistic director, Chelsea Hoy
The Company: Maddie Cabral, Aubrey Chann, Courtney D’Angelo, Sofia Dorantes, Ali Doughty, Michael Fleck, Lydia Frederick, Anna Gorman, Abigail Graham-Luke, Patrick Grant, Chelsea Hoy, Shannon Kearney, Meaghan Kilmartin, Francisco Lemus, Phife Mac Gabhaan, Margaret Nolley, Sydney Niewiedzial, Rachel Olsen, Clare Rahner, Micah Roby, Reilly Sedlacek
Musicians: Brandan O’Shea, Jake Jones, Chris Devlin, Steven Rutledge
Guest artist; Taylor Yocum
Stage manager, Julie E. Ballard; Lighting director, Haley Burdette; Sound, Henry Mayt. 

Act One

Soles (2018)
Choreography, Mark Howard; Additional movement, Michael Donnelan; Music, Mark Howard and Chris Deviln; Costumes, Cathy Fitzmaurice, Lighting, Al Crawford

McDonald’s Creek (Song)
Composed by Brendan O’Shea; Arrangements, the TIDC Band; Lighting, Al Crawford

A New Dawn (1996/ 2018)
Choreography, Mark Howard; Music, Winston Damon and Liz Carroll; Costumes, Shamrock Stitchery; Lighting, Julie E. Ballard

Black Rose (2004/2023)
Choreography, Mark Howard; Words and Voice, Chelsea Hoy; Music, Winston Damon with Liz Carroll; Live percussion, Steven Rutledge; Costumes, Amanda Gladu; Lighting, Al Crawford

Sparks (2022)
Choreography, Mark Howard, Al Doughty, Patrick Grant; Danced by Ali Doughty and Patrick Grant; Music, Jake James; Costumes, Golden Era Designs and Cecelia Sheraton; Lighting, Al Crawford

The Sash (2025)
Film by Paul Marshall; Choreography, Mark Howard, Chelsea Hoy, Stephanie  Martinez; Costumes, Lauren Carmen; Lighting, Julie E. Ballard; Choreography assistant, Taylor Yocum

Act Two

Communion (2014)
Choreography, Mark Howard and Sandy Silva; Costumes, Lauren Carmen; Music, Jake James, originally conceived by Cleek Schrey; Lighting, Julie E. Ballard

Still (Song)
Music by Brendan O’Shea; Lighting. Al Crawford

Push (2014)
Choreography, Mark Howard; Danced by Chelsea Hoy,  Patrick Grant, Michael Fleck, Francisco Lemus, Lydia Frederick, Ali Doughty, Sydney Niewiedzial, Music, the TIDC band; Costumes, Cathy Fitzmaurice; Lighting, Al Crawford

American Traffic (2020)
Choreography, Michelle Dorrance and Melinda Sullivan; Music, drums and hand percussion by Stephen Rutledge; Costumes, Kristine Fatchet; Lighting, Al Crawford

The Reel Thing (Instrumental)
Musical arrangement, TIDC band, tradional tunes except “For All That You Do” by Jake James; Lighting Al Crawford

An Corcas (The Circus) (2019)
Choreography, Mark Howard and Chelsea Hoy: Music, TIDC band; Costumes, Kristine Fatchet; Lighting, Al Crawford

Trinity Irish Dance Company was founded in Chicago, thirty five years ago, by the choreographer Mark Howard. Chelsea Hoy joined the company in 2014 and was named Associate Artistic Director in 2018.

Although American based, the world touring company is rooted in Irish traditions of step dancing and music. The unique vision has been to expand the program from folk forms to creating works with progressive vision that puts it on level ground with leading contemporary companies. The dances are exquisite, unique, intricate, and challenging. There is none of the flashy showmanship that is associated with commercial enterprises such as Riverdance. The company is more about fine art than spectacle.

In opening remarks, artistic director, Pamela Tatge, acknowledged a mandate to present less represented forms of dance. With pride she welcomed thc company’s engagement for the first time in the Ted Shawn Theatre. Speaking for the company Brendan O’Shea added that “We are honored to now be a part of the history of Jacob’s Pillow.

In two acts it was a rich and diverse program of music as well as dance. There were seven pieces in act one, followed by six more in the second act.

There are two primary forms of Irish dance; hard shoe and soft shoe, including dancing en pointe. A commonality is that it entirely entails feet and legs. The upper body does not engage and the arms remain relaxed by the side of the dancers. There is a focus on dazzling foot work as well as sharp shifts of the legs and gazelle-like, fleet leaps.

For the opening piece “Soles” there were two rows of darkly attired dancers. Against a dark stage, each dancer was showcased beneath a narrow, bright beam of light. Sound and percussion were a striking feature of the dance. They stomped in unison on the stage. The connection to American tap dancing was made more evident in the program in a work choreographed by tap master, Michelle Dorrance and Melinda Sullivan.

The lines broke up with the lighting focused on individuals and couples. The piece reinforced what I knew and anticipated for Irish Dance. That notion changed and expanded as the program evolved.

For the first time in my experience music was given equal billing at Jacob’s Pillow.
The second piece, McDonald’s Creek, featured the TIDC Band which was set on a line at the back of the stage. On acoustic guitar, Brendan O’Shea was the vocalist, with a second guitar, bass and drums. Mid performance, Jake James set aside his bass and took up the fiddle. The New York based musician is a two-time, All Ireland, fiddle player.

Later in the program he snuck out from the curtains seemingly shy and self-conscious. It was a playful banter with the audience rather like the Knee Plays in Japanese Kabuki theatre. He whipped up a dazzling, astonishing bit of Irish fiddling. It was a highlight of the performance.

With “A New Dawn” the soft shoe technique was featured. There was a soft silence as the dancers pranced and twirled on stage. Attention was focused on intricate leg work, leaps, and ensemble dancing. It was a graceful, enticing work.

There are three male dancers but the dominant role is from women. Similarly attired there is no attention to gender. This is not to say that they are ignored. They were featured as a part of a piece that showcased their more physical sensibility. There was, however, none of the pervasive partnering of most dance companies.

In particular “American Traffic” choreographed by Michelle Dorrance and Melinda Sullivan was fascinating. It was a unique fusion of American tap and traditional Irish step dancing. It started with a sensibility shifting pas de quatre. It inevitably evoked comparison to the four dancers from Swan Lake.

It shifted from there in a manner more familiar to the Dorrance approach. They were joined by the other dancers with full command of the stage. In addition to percussive footwork there was the astonishing use of American vernacular “hand jive.” This is an aspect of black street dance in which the hands clap with accents of body slaps. It is a means of generating percussion without the use of instruments.

Most gratifying was the manner in which the folk traditions of American tap and Irish step dancing have led to a fusion of high art on stage at the prestigious Jacob’s Pillow. This constantly raises the bar of popular culture and reshapes our perceptions of both art and dance.