The Trinity Irish Dance Company Launches 35th Anniversary Season at the Museum of Contemporary Art

The Trinity Irish Dance Company will launch its 35th Anniversary season at the Museum of Contemporary Art in May 2025. Their milestone season will include other special local events and performances across the country to be announced.

Continuing TIDC’s longstanding history of pushing the boundaries of a cultural form, the Museum of Contemporary Art performances will include the world premiere of “The Sash,” choreographed by Trinity Founding Artistic Director Mark Howard, Associate Artistic Director and dancer Chelsea Hoy and guest contemporary choreographer Stephanie Martinez, founder and Artistic Director of Chicago’s PARA.MAR Dance Theatre. Completing the program will be a selection of TIDC’s diverse repertoire, featuring original music performed live by TIDC’s band, fronted by Killarney-born Brendan O’Shea.

"Everything starts with a dream," Howard describes, “and this is especially true of our newest work, ‘The Sash.’” Set to a rousing soundtrack by Northern Irish composer Kevin Sharkey, “The Sash” blends cultures, movement genres and percussive complexities. Howard, Hoy, and Martinez fuse Irish precision, traditions, and history with contemporary flair, bringing to life Sharkey’s dream inspired by his childhood during the Northern Ireland Troubles, and reminding us that unity is stronger than conflict. 

The four-performance series at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave., May 16-18 will include:

• Friday, May 16: 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. - Opening night performance and 35th  Anniversary gala celebration, featuring special guests: local Trinity Academy students that won the 2024 world championship gold medal for the United States
• Saturday, May 17: 2 p.m. matinee and 7:30 p.m. performance
• Sunday, May 18: 1 p.m. matinee

Tickets will range in price from $40 to $80 and will go on sale Nov. 22 at trinityirishdancecompany.com. Tickets for the opening night gala performance are priced at $275 and include the performance and post-performance celebration with drinks, hors d'oeuvres and mingling with the artists.

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