Auditorium Theatre 2021-2022, Issue 2, Trinity

8 | AUDITORIUM THEATRE :: TIDC Around the World with Trinity Irish Dance Company It’s no secret that Trinity Irish Dance Company (TIDC) has a huge following right here in Chicago — if you’ve attended a TIDC show at the Auditorium Theatre in the past, you’ve seen the crowd go wild for the company’s action-packed, high-energy performances. But did you know that TIDC also has traveled internationally, bringing its unique blend of Irish-American dance around the world? “TIDC celebrates the strong traditions of Irish dance through a refreshing, contemporary lens,” said TIDC Associate Artistic Director Chelsea Hoy, “and the strong rhythms of traditional Irish music and dance have a universal appeal. But it’s our constant pursuit of innovation that continues to renew the company’s international appeal.” Since inception, the company, led by Founding Artistic Director Mark Howard, has performed in Italy, France, Taiwan, Canada, Germany, and Japan — where they have a huge fan base. TIDC has toured Japan every other year since 2004, making them the most toured foreign dance company in Japan. They will embark on their eight Japanese tour this summer. “When we perform in Japan, the audience is silent,” Hoy said. “After the performance, it is total madness. Velvet ropes are used to keep some space between the crowds and the artists in the lobby. People reach out to the dancers with tears streaming down their faces. Audience members scream when they catch sight of the Artistic Director, run after the tour bus waving as we head off to the next town.” TIDC’s juxtaposition of understated subtleties and aggressive power, the world championship titles that some of the company’s dancers hold from their competitive dance days, and the presentation of strong women on stage are all elements that are highly respected by Japanese audiences, Hoy said. “A few years after our first tour, we were informed that the first Irish dance schools opened in Japan as a direct result of our performances,” Hoy added. “These schools continue to grow and excel, and we hope within a year or two one of these dancers will become a TIDC member.” Meanwhile, in other parts of the world, TIDC’s influence has already reached up-and-coming dancers. Recently, the company welcomed its first dancer from Mexico, Francisco Lemus , who will perform at the Auditorium for the first time in February. “I was always interested in percussive types of dance,” Lemus said. “While I was already tap dancing, I saw videos of Irish dancing on YouTube and found it very interesting and exciting. At the same time, I thought I would probably never be able to do that because I did not think it was available to me in Mexico.” Luckily, one of Lemus’ tap dance teachers was interested in Irish dance and began incorporating some elements into her classes. “This inspired me, and I started learning Irish dance moves on YouTube and my parents started buying me different videos of Irish dance,” Lemus said. He had the chance to see Riverdance in Mexico, and connected with a dancer who told him about Irish dance classes two hours away from Lemus’ hometown, where he trained over the next few years. Eventually, Lemus placed above any other Latin American Irish dancer at the World Championships, finishing 6th in the world and 4th at the U.S. National Championships, in addition to winning the U.S. Southern Regional Championships twice. Lemus found his way to TIDC through Instagram, where he watched the company’s videos and felt inspired. He saw the company in person when they performed at the 2019 World Championships of Irish Dance, and described it as “something [he] had never seen before.” “I knew immediately I wanted to be a part of it, because I love to do things people haven’t done before,” Lemus said. “I auditioned the next day.” Though the COVID-19 pandemic delayed Lemus’ start with TIDC, he was eventually contacted by Howard and Hoy. “I was getting ready to quit dancing,” he said. “I thought that shows and competitions were not meant for me and I thought I was not good enough. Exactly one week after I thought I was going to quit once and for all, TIDC reached out to me. And I knew that was a sign I should remain focused on my goals and dreams.” Training and performing with TIDC has been an amazing experience, Lemus said, adding, “I’ve gained new perspectives, new feelings of gratitude, and a new sense of purpose.” Growing up as an Irish dancer from Mexico, he often felt he was valued more for his nationality than for his talents, but now, he sees this as an empowerment tool. “It’s all starting to click,” he said. “With TIDC, it doesn’t even feel like I’m dancing. I feel like I’m in a different dimension, doing things I didn’t know I was capable of. It’s just magic. I’ve spent my life waiting to fit in, but now, I feel like I can just be Francisco.” While Lemus is one of the company’s first international dancers, he knows he won’t be the last. “There’s a misconception that you have to be Irish or have Irish ties to do Irish dance,” he said. “I am inspired to share my love and respect for Irish culture with as many people in Mexico as I can, because I personally know how it can open up new forms of expression. Through TIDC, I can now also share this love far beyond my own community.” “Dance connects people on a deeper level than borders or spoken languages,” Lemus said. “No matter where a dancer is from, in some way they are moving because they want to be heard. Dance is what I use to tell my story … percussive dance, so my voice is extra loud.” Though TIDC has found a strong international audience through the power of percussion and connection, inspiring dancers like Lemus around the world, there’s still nothing quite like performing at home in Chicago, especially at the Auditorium Theatre. “When we are performing internationally, we’re excited about spreading our unique take on this art form to new audiences,” Hoy said. “At home, it becomes more about a raw and simple joy: to share our work with our families, friends, and fellow Chicagoans.” Trinity Irish Dance Company performs at the Auditorium Theatre on February 5, 2022.