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Trinity Irish Dance Company Graces NYC For Week of St. Patrick's Day

Trinity Irish Dance Company members Erin Gradus, Sierra McNall, Chelsea Hoy, Maggie Doyle, Marissa Wurster. Photo by Lois Greenfield

In time for St. Patrick’s Day, The Trinity Irish Dance Company comes to New York’s Joyce Theater (175 Eighth Avenue, NY, NY). From March 15 to the 20th, the Trinity Irish Dance Company (TIDC) performs its blend of Irish tradition and American innovation in dance.  The Chicago/Milwaukee-based TIDC was founded in 1990 by Founding Artistic Director Mark Howard, TIDC is the birthplace of progressive Irish dance, with a consistent message of female empowerment with a repertory that has elevated the art form for nearly three decades.

In addition to the performances by TIDC, there will also be three New York premieres: An Sorcas (The Circus), the examination of substance versus spectacle, created in tandem with Associate Artistic Director Chelsea Hoy. Sparks, co-created and performed by world champion dancer Ali Doughty, pairing her prowess with virtuosity of All-Ireland champion fiddle player Jake James. And lastly, American Traffic, a blend of Irish step and American tap from Michelle Dorrance and Melinda Sullivan that celebrates the nuanced differences between the two forms, meeting at the intersection of rhythmic sensibilities and rebellious histories.  The program is rounded out by classic works and formative pieces, including Howard’s Soles, a tribal and timeless rhythmic study; the explosion of impeccable footwork in Push; and Johnny, the 1991 piece that altered the landscape of Irish dance and catapulted Trinity Irish Dance Company to international stardom.

To learn more, go to: https://www.joyce.org/

The Joyce Theater Foundation Presents Trinity Irish Dance Company
March 15 - 20, 2022

Joyce Theater
175 8th Ave.
New York, NY 10011

19th Annual Irish Dance Festival: Workshops & Dancing Streamed Live

 

The Irish Arts Center NYC, undeterred by the global pandemic, are making the 19th Annual Irish Dance Festival a streaming event for all to see. Running Sunday, June 7 2020 the festival includes workshops and performances curated by artistic director Niall O’Leary TCRG, ADCRG.

The 19th annual celebration of Irish dancing features traditional music and moves from notable talent from around the country and local students alike. Panels and workshop also educate viewers on the rich history of Irish dancing.

Dancers include:

  • Donny Golden Dancers
  • Niall O’Leary Irish Dance Troupe
  • Darrah Carr Dance
  • Niall O’Leary School of Irish Dance

To learn more, go to: https://irishartscenter.org/event/at-home-with-irish-arts-center-nyc-irish-dance-festival

19th Annual Irish Dance Festival
June 7, 2020

Italy By Way of Hungary at Carnegie Hall

Photo by Attila Nagy.
 
The marvelous American debut tour of the superb Hungarian State Opera continued with a memorable orchestral concert at Carnegie Hall on the evening of Monday, November 5th.
 
The first half of the program, excellently conducted by Balázs Kocsár, was devoted to music from Italy, beginning with three works by the lesser known composer Aldo Finzi whose work has recently received some performances in New York. The first piece was the tempestuousInterludio,followed by the more noteworthy L’Infinito—one wonders if the title is an allusion to the celebrated eponymous poem by Giacomo Leopardi. This opus features an extremely beautiful Impressionist soundscape for much of its length. After Numquam (Sinfonia romana),the impressive soloist Nagao Haruka took the stage to perform Concerto for Violin and Orchestra by Fabio Vacchi who joined the artists for a final bow.
 
The adored tenor Placido Domingo led the musicians in the delightful Rákóczi Marchof Hector Berlioz after which soprano Andrea Rost then joined the ensemble to sing “Heia, in den Bergen . . .” from the classic operetta, Die Csárdásfürstin” by Emmerich Kálmán and the lovely “Vilja Song” from Franz Lehár’s extremely popular The Merry Widow. The final two works on the program were the most substantial: the rarely performed Symphonic Minutes of the underrated Ernő von Dohnányi and the extraordinary Suite from The Miraculous Mandarinby Béla Bartók. Enthusiastic applause was rewarded delightfully with an encore of the final movement fromSymphonic Minutes.
 
The debut tour continues this week with performances of the Hungarian National Ballet at the David Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.

Stunning Gala Performance of Hungarian Opera & Ballet

Photo by Attila Nagy.
 
The marvelous Hungarian State Opera and Hungarian National Ballet presented a wonderful gala performance at the David Koch Theater on the evening of Sunday, November 4th, as part of its American debut tour which thus far has been a revelation.
 
The audience stood with the chorus for Ferenc Erkel’s moving “Himnusz”, the national anthem of Hungary, after which the winsome mistress of ceremonies addressed the guests followed by the appearance of celebrated soprano and former star of the Metropolitan Opera, Éva Marton, who spoke about her career. Legendary Placido Domingo delivered a recorded greeting and then the Hungarian Secretary of State for Culture, Peter Fekete spoke as well.
 
The excellent Overture to Erkel’s famous opera, Hunyadi László, preceded two further excerpts from the same work: La Grange’s aria, sung by Orsolya Hajnalka Rőser, and the Act I Finale, “Meghalt a cselszövő”, sung by István Horváth. Two excerpts from the same composer’s magnificent Bánk Bán followed: Petur’s aria sung by Zoltán Kelemen and Bánk’s aria, “Hazám, hazám”, sung by Boldizsár László. Contemporary choreographer Hans Van Manen’s effective Trois Gnossiemes, set to glorious piano music by Erik Satie preceded the thrilling Whirling—choreographed by András Lukács and set to music by Philip Glass—which was reminiscent of the work of Twyla Tharp and exquisitely closed the first half of the program.
 
After intermission, the dancers were electrifying in the fabulous Pas de trois from the superb Marius Petipa ballet, Le Corsaire. Piano soloist József Balog then took the stage to play Franz Liszt’s Hungarian Fantasy and also played another work by the same composer while accompanying a lovely acrobat performing a remarkable aerial show.
 
The General Director of the company then recounted the impressive number of Hungarian conductors that have led major American orchestras after which the evening concluded with extraordinary music by the great Hungarian composer, Zoltán Kodály. First, there were two excerpts from the renowned opera, Háry János: “Szegény vagyok”, sung by Erika Gál, and the Intermezzo accompanying an astonishing quintet of folk dancers. Two numbers from The Spinning Room followed: “A csitári hegyek alatt” sung by Horváth and Zita Szemere, with more acrobatics; and the work’s memorable Finale which featured the company as a whole. The audience was invited to sing another of Hungary’s national anthems which it did with appropriate solemnity. This exceptional event was a fine tribute to the nation’s outsized contribution to world culture.

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