TRINITY IRISH DANCE COMPANY
Presented by World Music/CRASHarts. At Cutler Majestic Theatre, Jan. 30-31. Tickets $35-$68. 617-876-4275, www.worldmusic.org
While the glitz and spectacle of “Riverdance’’ and “Lord of the Dance’’ helped catapult Irish dance into mainstream entertainment two decades ago, it was Mark Howard’s Trinity Irish Dance Company that paved the way years earlier. Howard and the company are credited with pioneering progressive Irish dance, reinvigorating the centuries-old tradition with a contemporary vision, without falling into what Howard considers the commercialism and sexism of many of the popular stage shows.
And now, says Howard, “We’re taking Irish dance back!’’ For the first time since 1998, the 25-year-old nonprofit company returns to Boston with new choreography for a World Music/CRASHarts engagement Jan. 30-31.
Maure Aronson, executive director of World Music/CRASHarts, says the company’s appearance is long overdue. “Their work has all the technical wizardry of exceptional Irish step dancing and the artistic depth of contemporary dance,’’ he says. “When the two are combined, the art form is phenomenally exciting onstage.’’
The Emmy Award-winning Howard was born in Yorkshire, England, and raised in Chicago. He began studying Irish dance at age 8 and became a championship performer. By 17, he was teaching, and two years later, in 1982, he launched the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance, leading to an unprecedented 17 World Championship team titles for the United States.
With the academy’s success, Howard wanted to broaden his scope from traditional competitive dancing to concert performance. In 1990, he founded Trinity Irish Dance Company (a separate entity from the academy) to preserve the legacy of Irish dance and provide a creative outlet for his own choreographic ideas and for talented post-competitive professional dancers. (The company holds a local audition Sunday 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Jeannette Neill Dance Studio.)
The troupe took off at once. Featured in films and television shows, it is celebrated internationally for its percussive power and precision as well as its fresh conceptual approach. Through Howard’s choreography and collaborations, Trinity has expanded the traditional vocabulary with innovative patterns and contemporary influences, while keeping the form’s integrity. “All of it is tied to the ancestors and tradition, but dance needs to evolve,’’ Howard says. “We’ve tried to make sure the art form is accessible and entertaining, but not trite and silly.’’
The troupe’s tour, which involves 22 dancers and five musicians, features 10 works. Five are being performed for the first time in the United States, including “Communion,’’ choreographed by Howard and body percussionist Sandy Silva, and “Listen,’’ the first contemporary Irish piece by Colin Dunne, widely considered the best Irish step dancer ever.
One familiar favorite on the program is “Curran Event,’’ created by Boston native Sean Curran, who studied Irish dance before becoming one of modern dance’s most intriguing dancer/choreographers. Howard says the work combines Irish dance and “STOMP,’’ of which Curran was an original member after seminal work with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company.
Curran cites Howard’s bold vision in commissioning the work more than 15 years ago. “He’s definitely a pioneer,’’ he says. “‘Riverdance’ gave [Irish dance] a slick Vegas saccharine feel and brought it to the world, but they weren’t interested in poetics. Mark has the heart of a poet and asks young contemporary choreographers to come in and play, experiment, like a laboratory. He’s brave that way, willing to take risks. He’s interested in speaking an old language in a new way.’’
The troupe’s appearance is also a big deal for aspiring Irish dancers. The show includes students from eight dance studios in Greater Boston. Eight-year-old Maeve Fetter, a third-grader at John F. Kennedy Elementary School in Canton, will represent Walpole’s Harney Academy of Irish Dance, and she is “over-the-moon excited,’’ says her mom, Norine Fetter, who was a founding member of Trinity 25 years ago.
“What makes Trinity unique is that when they come to town they try to connect with the local community on many different levels, inviting schools to participate, to come together as a community and be part of this tradition we love,’’ says Fetter. For her, the company’s resurgence and Boston engagement complete a circle: She fell in love with Boston during the company’s tour here in 1998 and met her husband here. The couple moved from Chicago to Boston eight years ago, and now she teaches Irish dance.
Fetter praises Howard’s work with Trinity for helping to elevate progressive Irish dance. “He’s a fantastic choreographer, and he had these great ideas,’’ she says. “He always tried to push the envelope and bring Irish dance to the next level.’’
Karen Campbell can be reached at karencampbell4@rcn.com.
