Move over Michael Flatley.
There is an Irish dance show in town that can captivate an audience better than the sweat-drenched and bare-chested "Lord of the Dance."
High-kicks, knee-slaps, finger-snaps and even ankle-twists were components of the Trinity Irish Dance Company's performance Friday night at the Center for the Arts' Mainstage Theater.
The Trinity Irish Dance Company, an Irish-American ensemble, has performed across the world and sold out shows in Asia and Europe. The dancers ranged in age from 18 to 28 and have been featured in the films "Backdraft" and "Road to Perdition."
Artistic director Mark Howard founded the dance company in 1990 and won an Emmy for his progressive and new approach to an old art form.
Friday night they showed that Irish Dance can be quite original and versatile.
Choreographer Sean Curran added arm movements and body percussion to traditional Celtic footwork, giving the performance greater appeal and a fresh new twist.
Sixteen women lined the stage, dancing for the packed house. The audience was treated to a variety of hip-hop, ragtime, reggae, and street dancing, added to Irish tap-dancing, melding Irish tradition and American culture.
The performers danced to the live music of Brendan O'Shea, Brian Holleran and Stone who played a host of instruments including the guitar, drums, flute and Uilleann pipes.
Dance numbers were spaced between musical interludes and short skits.
"We are the band, orchestra, fighters, lovers or whatever you want to call us," said Stone, one of the company's musicians.
The audience was encouraged to participate in the fun, clapping a prearranged rhythm, with each section clapping a different sequence to create a syncopated pattern.
Stage effects included rolling smoke and costume changes for the women. The costumes were of a traditional Irish garb. They wore brightly colored and sparkled skirts along with the everyday dress of an Irish maiden.
Jig shoes, the precursor to American tap shoes, were worn for the number called "Treble Jig." When the British tried to wipe out Gaelic traditions and Anglicize Ireland, these soundless shoes were worn to tap out silent rhythms in the privacy of their homes in order to keep the custom of tap-dancing alive.
Trinity is the forerunner of progressive, contemporary dance. The company has created new pathways for Irish artistic expression, which has inspired productions like Riverdance.
Similar to Riverdance's solo male dancer Michael Flatley, Trinity's Patrick Barnet was the company's main man. However, the child dancers who periodically graced the stage stole the show.
Prisoners in black-and-white striped costumes danced with their legs chained together, adding beautiful visual variation.
Oddly, two of the striped dancers fell in this sequence. Molly Dunn, the dancer who suffered the onstage casualty, required immediate medical attention.
"It was pretty bad. She's on her way to the hospital now. She normally never gets hurt," said Melissa Ricksecker concerning her fellow dancer.
The show was brilliant and riveting, family entertainment at its best. The dance still retains its integrity while exploring new avenues of expression.
