Auditorium Theatre 2018-19 Issue 2 Hubbard Street Dance

10 | AUDITORIUM THEATRE 2018-19 | January 19 - March 3, 2019 T rinity Irish Dance Company (TIDC) is a Chicago-born Irish-American company that is carving new traditions. In contrast to commercial Irish dance productions, TIDC has re-emerged in recent years as a determined breath of fresh air. Blessed with inventive drive and a progressive vision, TIDC has been revitalized thanks to a number of powerful and gifted artists. By challenging the status quo and traditional notions of Irish dancing, their integrity-filled approach resonates with audiences and critics worldwide — they are ambitious rebels with a cause. TIDC was founded in 1990 by creative force and Emmy Award-winning choreographer Mark Howard. Born in Yorkshire, England to Irish parents, Howard trained as a child in Chicago church basements and banquet halls under the legendary Irish dance teachers Marge and Dennis Dennehy. Howard, who was teaching his own students by the age of 17 while studying at St. Ignatius College Prep, eventually founded his own dance school, which continues to flourish as a Chicago institution. A year after graduating from Loyola University, Howard coached his dancers to win America’s first world team championship. His school would continue to push boundaries and break multiple records. By 27, Howard was appearing annually as a special guest on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show . He choreographed for film, television, theatre, and international festivals, and eventually made the transition to the performing arts stage. Howard’s original dance genre, known as “progressive Irish dance,” has drawn an A-list cast of 20 dancers from throughout North America, led by recently-named Associate Artistic Director Chelsea Hoy and Artistic Associates Ali Doughty, MacKenzie Holland, and Marissa Wurster. Doughty and newcomer Paige Turilli have cumulatively won six world championship titles for the United States. Today, Howard focuses his efforts on passing on his unique style and ethos to his company members. Poised for Greatness: Trinity Irish Dance Company Returns to Chicago! Everything you expect, but like nothing you’d imagine . An ethnic art form redefined through dances that will transport, inspire, and leave you feeling whole. That’s what Chicago’s Trinity Irish Dance Company has to offer. Mark Howard (cont. on pg 12) LOIS GREENFIELD