Trinity Irish Dance Company to Kick off 35th Anniversary Season at the MCA

Trinity Irish Dance Company will launch its 35th Anniversary season at the Museum of Contemporary Art in May. Led by the consistent pioneering vision of Founding Artistic Director Mark Howard, the 35-year evolution of this company is leading to a flurry of major milestone moments - including the world premiere of groundbreaking work at the MCA, the company’s Jacob’s Pillow debut, and administrative and artistic expansion.

MCA 35th Anniversary Kick-Off: May 16-18

The highly anticipated main event will be the world premiere of "The Sash," and its companion dance, "Taking the Mick," which celebrated its premiere last spring at TIDC’s annual Auditorium Theatre performance. 

Two years in the making, these companion works are inspired by the Irish on both sides of the pond: "Taking the Mick," “whimsy meets percussive ferocity” (Chicago Reader) choreographed by Howard and Associate Artistic Director and dancer Chelsea Hoy, is set against a vaudevillian era narrative that dances amongst the madness between Irish immigrant insecurities, social mobility, one-upmanship and assimilation into America. 

"The Sash," choreographed by 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, presents an unprecedented movement vocabulary that brings the virtuosity and versatility of TIDC’s artists to a new level. Fusing Irish precision, traditions, and history with contemporary flair, "The Sash" brings to life Northern Irish composer Kevin Sharkey’s dream inspired by his childhood during the “Northern Ireland Troubles,” and reminding audiences that unity is stronger than conflict.

Set to a rousing score by Sharkey, the world premiere also features dialogue from the hit television series Derry Girls as well as spoken text provided by acclaimed Irish actress Eva Birthistle of the famed television series Bad Sisters. 

“These companion works and their range represent a sort of ‘Sergeant Pepper’ moment for us,” says Howard. “Ours is a company that continuously and seamlessly re-grows to meet its expanding potential. Our artists’ movement vocabulary and prowess are developing at breakneck speed, and as choreographers, we love nothing more than to create new landscapes and open up new portals for our company members to soar through.” 

The program will be rounded out with audience favorites that showcase the range of TIDC’s genre-defying repertoire, including Howard’s "Push," an explosion of hard-driving percussive power demonstrates the company’s consistent message of female empowerment; and Michelle Dorrance and Melinda Sullivan's "American Traffic," a hybrid of Irish step and American tap that plays at the intersection of rhythmic sensibilities and rebellious histories, amongst others. The program will feature original live music performed by TIDC’s band, fronted by Killarney-raised, New York City-based Brenoshea; company member Francisco Lemus who was named in Dance Magazine’s 2025 “Top 25 to Watch,” and a prelude that will introduce audiences to ten international dancers that make up TIDC’s brand-new Training Company, showcasing the high-powered athleticism of these new artists hailing from the US, Mexico, and Canada. 

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