Dance St Lous opens 58^th Season with

Trinity Irish Dance Company Nov. 11

Dance St. Louis, one of the oldest and one of only four nonprofit dance presenters in the country, kicks off its 58th season by presenting the critically acclaimed international touring Trinity Irish Dance Company on Saturday, November 11 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.From sold-out tours in Europe, Asia and North America to commanding the stages at Washington D.C.’s The Kennedy Center and New York’s The Joyce Theater to performing for dignitaries and Irish and American presidents, Trinity Irish Dance Company has significantly changed the direction and scope of Irish dance, re-introducing the art form as the phenomenon it is today.

Recognized for ushering in “a new era for Irish step dance” (Chicago Tribune) and hailed as “impossibly complex” (The New York Times), this uniquely Irish American company, founded in 1990 by creative force and renowned, pioneering choreographer Mark Howard, is the birthplace of progressive Irish dance. Through a blend of percussive power and aerial grace, the company’s repertory has elevated the art form for nearly three decades, stretching “the limits of what Irish dance can do aesthetically and rhythmically” (Chicago Tribune), and using Irish dance as an instrument and a metaphor to redefine the medium with passion, flair and precision.

A primarily female company, with 18 female dancers and 3 male dancers, Trinity Irish Dance Company also sends a consistent message of female empowerment, celebrating the strength of women through casting, choreography, and intentional costuming.

THE EVENING’S PROGRAM

At Dance St. Louis’ November 11th presentation at the Touhill, Trinity Irish Dance Company features a variety of 10 choreographic works, ranging from those displaying virtuosic footwork to a hybrid of Irish step and American tap, choreographed by tap extraordinaries Michelle Dorrance and Melinda Sullivan of Dorrance Dance, to original, classic pieces by founding artistic director Mark Howard that reflect his unique fusion of vibrant Irish traditions with ever-evolving American innovation.The evening’s presentation includes live music – solo and accompaniment – by a four-member band led by Killarney, Ireland-born, New York-based singer/songwriter Brendan O’Shea.

For more information on the evening’s program, please visit https://www.dancestlouis.org/trinity-irish-dance-company.