This is Trinity.

Announcing the “This is Trinity” series in celebration of our Founder Mark Howard’s 40th year as a pioneering choreographer/dance educator! We are sharing key moments from Howard’s career, a career that has consistently redefined the industry and continues to have a worldwide impact.

Trinity continues to realize our Founder’s vision to provide a space for young people to grow as dancers, friends, leaders, and most importantly, as teammates.

𝘐𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺.

Click here to read PART ONE!

[1994]: Mark Howard, former Trinity Managing Director Amy Campbell Moran, and the U13  “Galway Races” Figure Choreography Team celebrating their hard-fought world championship win

In 1994, Trinity dancer Anne Blume was preparing to perform “The Galway Races” on the world stage with her U13 choreography team. An unexpected sprained ankle, an enormous amount of determination, and the selfless spirit of teammates changed the course of the 48 hours leading up to the competition, resulting in a quintessential Trinity story that will last the test of time.

Today, Anne is Trinity’s Associate Director and Team Manager, and teammate Katie Hughes’ spirit and dedication has inspired an annual award for a Trinity student who demonstrates extraordinary leadership.

Click here to read PART ONE!
Click here to read PART TWO!
Click here to reach PART THREE !
Click here to read PART FOUR !

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[𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟳]: Tim O’Hare performs in the feature film 𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘦 𝘈𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯’𝘴 𝘔𝘢𝘧𝘪𝘢

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Pat Roche

[𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟮]: Founder Mark Howard with Irish dance legend Pat Roche.

Pat Roche was a County Clare native that dedicated his legendary life to promoting Irish dance in Chicago through his own school and the creation of the first Chicago feis (Irish for competition). Most of Mr. Roche’s grandchildren would eventually be trained by Mark Howard at his Trinity Academy of Irish Dance, with several going on to win America’s first world team titles.

Characteristic of Howard’s commitment to honor those whose shoulders we stand on, he created the Chicago Pat Roche Feis in 2002. In its first year, the Pat Roche feis was the largest in the world, attracting nearly 2000 dancers from across the nation. Last spring, Howard had the honor of inducting Pat Roche into the Irish American Hall of Fame, saying, “Pat Roche saw things nobody else could see. It was the gift that allowed him to make such a massive dent in the universe. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁,𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻,𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝘁 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗲.”

Pat’s talented daughter, Peggy Roche Boyle was also a positive influence in Howard’s first years as a teacher and went on to be the honorary chairperson for Pat Roche Feis until her untimely death on April 14, 2018.

This weekend, hundreds of dancers will honor Pat Roche’s legacy at the 18th annual Pat Roche feis!

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Michael Howard

[𝟭𝟵𝟴𝟳]: Founder Mark Howard embracing his father Michael Howard, perhaps Trinity’s biggest fan, in Galway, Ireland after coaching a team to win the first world team title for the United States
Happy 84th birthday to Michael Howard, the man whose selfless heart reached family, friends, and strangers in equal measure.
Michael grew up in Portlaoise, Ireland. In 1963, he traveled to America via the Queen Mary in search of new opportunities, his wife Agnes Howard and his 1.5-year-old son Mark by his side. The youngest of nine, Michael lived and loved with an unmatched strength of spirit and determination. With humor, graciousness, and a clever wink, he had the unique ability to make everyone feel like they belonged.
Michael passed away eight years ago, but his spirit remains the bedrock of Trinity’s inclusive and uplifting program. His willingness to dream and aspiration for greatness lives on through every child that reaches out to an elderly person after a performance, through every dancer that stays an extra hour to support a teammate, and through our Founder’s unwavering vision. Thank you Mike Howard for your drive. We will always miss you.
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Trinity Irish Dance Company

[𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟴]: Mark Howard with four Artistic Associates from his critically-acclaimed, non-profit Trinity Irish Dance Company
Since the founding of Trinity Academy in 1982, Howard has evolved from a formidable coach who led his students to break records for the United States to a Founding Artistic Director whose innovative work celebrates the integrity of the form and is resonating with audiences worldwide.
Howard’s pioneering Trinity Irish Dance Company has recently been re-energized. He continues to take his vision to new heights, gifting dancers with a space to expand their sensibilities as artists and push a traditional form forward.
Howard’s pioneering Trinity Irish Dance Company has recently been re-energized. He continues to take his vision to new heights, gifting dancers with a space to expand their sensibilities as artists and push a traditional form forward.
Today’s nucleus of A-list dancers are passionate about carrying on his legacy and are riding a well-deserved wave as the high watermark of their art form. Howard values and trusts the company members as contributors and leaders, integral to the choreography and creation of new work.
Howard and company kicked off their 2019-2020 season on October 18th in New Orleans, and will continue their tour at eight prestigious venues across the US, including a home performance at 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗴𝗼’𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗲!
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The Beginning

𝟭𝟵𝟴𝟬: Mark Howard guides dancers from the McGing-Howard school, two years before founding the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance. With a bold vision since inception, Howard led Trinity to win America’s first world team titles in all three categories: Dance Drama (1987), Figure Choreography (1994), and Ceili (1998)
“Always remember that teamwork is the essence of life. Blending your talents and varied personalities together into one force is what will eventually lead you to the ultimate moments. These are the memories that shape your life, make you stand out, and define your very existence.” – 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘏𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥
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