Auditorium Theatre 2018-19 Issue 2 Hubbard Street Dance

12 | AUDITORIUM THEATRE 2018-19 | January 19 - March 3, 2019 Despite their significant legacy, TIDC’s glory days seem to be ahead of them. They were recently named the #1 dance act by the Boston Globe, and this past summer, they sold out a three-week tour of Japan. The company’s clear message of female empowerment is making an impact, as commended by Alastair Macaulay of the New York Times, who noted that the company dances “as if on the women’s terms,” and the Boston Globe, where it was stated that TIDC is a company "where women make the form their own." Through a unique blend of uncompromising power and grace, TIDC is gaining ground in the fight for gender equity, consistently presenting men and women on equal footing. Most importantly, they are creating a groundbreaking repertoire with an energy as potent as ever, developing ten works within the past four years. One of Howard’s recent pieces, Soles , was previewed at Tokyo’s renowned Orchard Hall and world-premiered at New York’s Joyce Theater to high acclaim. Soles is a quintessential TIDC creation: minimalist and smart in all of its honest rhythms. “On some level, we’re on a mission to save Irish dance from the circus it can sometimes be,” says Howard. This sentiment provided the inspiration for the company’s newest work, An Sorcas (Gaelic for “The Circus”), which the company will premiere at the Auditorium Theatre on February 2. An electric and colorful collaboration between Howard, Hoy, and company member Michael Gardiner, An Sorcas examines the battle between substance and spectacle. In line with the notion that society’s emphasis on commercialism is backwards, An Sorcas opens with the full ensemble bowing and dancing backwards. Original lyrics, music, and layers of symbolism make An Sorcas TIDC’s most ambitious piece to date. “We’ve taken the glitz and glam of the Irish dance world and repurposed it for the performing arts stage,” Hoy says. “It’s a piece that begins with idolatry and progresses towards empathy. Halfway through the piece, we shed jackets made from deconstructed flashy Irish dance dresses to reveal an understated, hopeful company.” With the seasoned Howard at the helm, TIDC’s artists will always be encouraged by a friendly pressure and an unwavering loyalty to his craft. “[Mark] is an unusual mix of intense competitive coach and inspirational Artistic Director,” says Artistic Associate Mackenzie Holland. With a smile, Holland recalls that Howard’s motivational pre-curtain talks on the company’s recent Japan tour ranged "from sharing an emotional story about a tearful single mom who credited our performance with changing her six-year-old daughter's life in two hours to telling us that the only way off the island is either through an inspired performance or in body bags." So where is TIDC and its new generation of dancers headed next? If you ask Howard, he says, “Everything about these dancers is extraordinary. The scope of their work, their virtuosity, and the ease with which they command a stage. Their honesty and commitment allows them to reach out, grab the hearts of audiences, and take them anywhere they want to go. They are poised for greatness, and they are just getting started.” Trinity Irish Dance Company performs at the Auditorium Theatre on February 2, 2019. C. HOY PHOTOGRAPHY