Encore Stream: Trinity Irish Dance Company

Streaming for free on Jacob's Pillow On Demand this March, Trinity Irish Dance Company (TIDC) is a uniquely Irish-American company that is the high watermark for their art form. Called “sophisticated and commanding” by the Los Angeles Times and “impossibly complex” by The New York Times, TIDC made their Jacob’s Pillow debut at Festival 2025, presenting “everything you expect, but like nothing you’d imagine” for their 35th anniversary season.

TIDC’s mixed program represented their range of genre-defying repertoire as well as classic works, featuring a live band. Among the works presented was Mark Howard’s Soles, a tribal and timeless rhythmic study; Push, an explosion of hard-driving percussive power that exemplifies the company’s consistent message of female empowerment; and Michelle Dorrance and Melinda Sullivan’s American Traffic, a hybrid of Irish step and American tap that plays at the intersection of rhythmic sensibilities and rebellious histories.

Since 1990, TIDC has celebrated Founding Artistic Director Mark Howard’s pioneering vision to fuse vibrant Irish traditions with ever-evolving innovation. TIDC is the birthplace of progressive Irish dance, Howard’s innovative movement genre that “ushered in a new era for Irish step dance” (Chicago Tribune). Considered an American treasure by critics and enthusiasts worldwide, TIDC has performed sold-out tours globally, carving new traditions as they push the boundaries of an ancient and beloved art form.