On Oct. 19, for the first time since 2002, the New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA) will present The Trinity Irish Dance Company (TIDC), the company credited with creating a progressive Irish dance movement which blends contemporary American dance styles with traditional Irish dance. This event marks TIDC’s first show before embarking on a world tour and celebrates NOBA’s 50th season.

Emmy-award winning choreographer and director Mark Howard formed TIDC in 1990, and since then the company has grown to reach global recognition. Irish American Magazine has named Howard one of the “Top 100 Irish-Americans” three times. By the time Howard created the non-profit TIDC, he had already formed the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance and led the group to World Championship team titles for the United States. Howard would later use his experience with Trinity Academy of Irish Dance to form TIDC.

The current TIDC program consists of nine dances and three musical performances. The program includes both new works and classic company performances with a mix of original and traditional music. 

“All the pieces look incredibly different,” said Chesea Hoy, a company dancer and the associate artistic director–Hoy is also a skilled photographer, dance instructor and visual artist. “While everything we do is connected to our ancestors, we are also pushing the boundaries to make our art form matter in the contemporary world.”

The event takes place at the Mahalia Jackson Theater, located at 1419 Basin St., and starts at 8 p.m. A day before the show, on Oct. 18, TIDC will host a master class for the Irish dance community from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Mahalia Jackson Theater. To register for the master class, click here. Before the TIDC performance gets underway on Oct. 19, Howard will hold a pre-performance talk at 7:15 p.m. on Mezzanine Level M2 of the Mahalia Jackson Theater. Tickets for the event start at $35, and they are available through the NOBA website, at the NOBA box office (935 Gravier St., Suite 800) or through Ticketmaster.