Trinity Irish Dance Company (TIDC), the Chicago-based critically-acclaimed Irish American non-profit performing arts company that celebrates Founding Artistic Director Mark Howard’s pioneering vision to fuse vibrant Irish traditions with ever-evolving innovation, will make history for the global Irish community this July. 

Hailed as “a stunning program of groundbreaking dance” by Broadway World, “irresistible” by Dance Magazine, “impossibly complex” by the New York Times, and “sophisticated and commanding” by The Los Angeles Times, TIDC will celebrate their debut at Jacob’s Pillow, America’s longest running international dance festival located in Becket, MA which celebrates its 93rd season this summer. TIDC will present 6 performances on the historic Ted Shawn Theatre stage from July 10-13, joining a summer lineup of dance legends from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company.

"Trinity Irish Dance Company embodies the spirit of tradition and innovation that we look for," said Jacob’s Pillow’s Executive and Artistic Director Pamela Tatge. “The company's commitment to blending the bold energy of Irish dance with contemporary sensibilities is unmatched. Their performances will mark the first time Jacob’s Pillow has presented a full program of Irish dance on the Ted Shawn Theatre stage. We can’t wait to celebrate their 35th Anniversary with their Jacob’s Pillow debut.”

“The Pillow is considered by many to be the highest honor in the performing arts dance world. This milestone is a direct testament to an artist who has spent a lifetime never straying from his original vision to present Irish Dance as serious art. Mark’s consistency at choosing substance over spectacle and the confidence to know where the art form should go next is exactly why his unparalleled body of work is being celebrated at The Pillow. I am especially grateful for Trinity’s legacy to be honored in this way amidst our 35th Anniversary Season.” - Chelsea Hoy, TIDC Associate Artistic Director  

“I’m ecstatic for 35 years worth of artists, board members and staff that have lent their collective talents to the wave of positive energy that has always pushed Trinity’s work to increasingly higher ground,” added Founding Artistic Director Mark Howard. “The protection of the ancestors will be with us at the Pillow, along with the hopes of Yates and O’Casey and the dreams of the Sineads and Shanes.” 

TRINITY IRISH DANCE COMPANY’S ORIGINS AND MISSION

Founded in 1990, TIDC is the birthplace of progressive Irish dance, Howard’s innovative movement genre that “ushered in a new era for Irish step dance, one which led directly to commercialized stadium tours like ‘Riverdance.’” (Chicago Tribune). Since inception, TIDC has always been an art-driven company that uniquely celebrates Irish dance through a performing arts lens.  They higher ground by allowing the form to morph and evolve with integrity while keeping a clear lineage to the ancestors.  Considered an American treasure by critics and enthusiasts worldwide, TIDC continues to carve new traditions as they push the boundaries of a traditional and beloved art form . 

Renowned tap choreographer, MacArthur Genius Grant recipient, and staple at Jacob’s Pillow, Michelle Dorrance describes, “Trinity Irish Dance Company is the cutting edge of Irish dance. They achieve what Riverdance does not: a powerful combination of cultural depth, innovation, and artistry with exceptional technical range,” says Dorrance. 

TIDC’s 35-year history is one of unlikely successes and unexpected evolutions: the rise of an ambitious young Irish dance coach to an internationally celebrated choreographer. Howard founded the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance at the age of 20, coaching and choreographing the first world championship gold-medal winning team for the United States in 1987 and ultimately bringing home America’s first gold in all team categories.  Trinity’s competitive dominance garnered national and international media exposure, including regular appearances on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. Their meteoric rise in the 80s led to the creation of groundbreaking repertoire and the ultimate founding of the non-profit TIDC.  

The company has been celebrated on many of the most prestigious stages around the world from New York City’s Joyce Theater to Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre and Tokyo’s Orchard Hall. TIDC is touted as the most toured foreign dance company of Japan. Their ever-evolving diverse repertoire continues to redefine what is possible for Irish dance. Celebrated as a company “where women make the form their own” by The Boston Globe, TIDC sends a clear message of female empowerment through a blend of percussive power and aerial grace that consistently presents males and females on equal footing. “The women of TIDC don’t only get to make noise,” says Associate Artistic Director Chelsea Hoy. “We’re expected to make noise.”

As a result of growing interest from elite dancers around the globe to join TIDC’s mission and study Howard’s unique movement genre (progressive Irish dance), TIDC boasts an impressive roster of international artists, including dancers and musicians from the USA, Canada, Mexico, and Ireland. A dynamic mover from Puebla, Mexico, company member Francisco Lemus was recently named in Dance Magazine’s 2025 “Top 25 to Watch.”

THE REPERTOIRE / THE PROGRAM

TIDC’s mixed program at Jacob’s Pillow will showcase the range of its genre-defying repertoire, celebrating their internationally renowned vision of pushing the boundaries of a cultural form while maintaining a strong reverence for its ancestors. The most highly anticipated new work being presented will be two companion pieces:  The Sash, which will have its world premiere at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art May 16-18, and Taking the Mick, which celebrated its premiere last spring at TIDC’s annual Chicago Auditorium Theatre performances.

Two years in the making, these companion works are narrative-driven, fantastical landscapes 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, 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. Fusing Irish precision, traditions, and history with contemporary flair, The Sash presents an unprecedented movement vocabulary that brings the virtuosity and versatility of TIDC’s artists to a new level. 

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.” 

Among the additional works presented will be Howard’s Soles, a tribal and timeless rhythmic study; Howard’s Push, an explosion of hard-driving percussive power that 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.  The program will feature original music performed live by TIDC’s band, fronted by Killarney-raised, New York City-based Brenoshea. 

For tickets or more information, visit https://trinityirishdancecompany.com/

July 10-13 - Jacob’s Pillow - Becket, MA