A Special Opportunity
for a Special ViewLast February, the Trinity Irish Dance Company performed
at Mackey Auditorium at the University of Colorado. Having become an Irish dance
"groupie" after seeing Riverdance a couple of years ago in Albuquerque,
I couldn't pass up the chance to see another fine group dedicated to my favorite
form of dance. Imagine my pleasure when I saw on the Celtic Cafe website that
Trinity would be returning to Colorado with performances in Ft. Collins and Pueblo.
Being a photographer, I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to
photograph some behind-the-scenes material. Of course I was looking forward to
the show that evening no matter what, but by Friday, October 18, the night the
troupe was to perform in Ft. Collins, I had about given up hope of being able
to photograph them. At noon, I received word that I was invited for that very
afternoon! Deirdre Mahoney, the rehearsal director, told me the rehearsal would
start at 2:30, which was 90 minutes later - and an hour's drive away! I packed
my cameras quickly and headed north, anticipating an opportunity that I'd always
hoped for. Trinity is a completely different concept from Riverdance,
Lord of the Dance, or Gaelforce Dance. Instead of a storyline, this
company showcases strictly dancing and music ranging from traditional Irish dance
to very contemporary variations of modern Irish dance. It's also different because
it was founded in Chicago instead of Ireland. (Of course other well-known Irish
dancers have come from Chicago!) Mark Howard founded Trinity in 1990 as an outlet
for his students. Having been founded twelve years ago, Trinity has been around
much longer than the other touring shows. The Trinity Company is composed
of fifteen female dancers and one principal male dancer, Darren
Smith. There are also two musicians, Brendan O'Shea on vocals and guitar,
and Stone on percussion. I knew that Darren wouldn't be performing in Colorado
this weekend and I assume Joe Smith took his place. I saw Darren last February
and he was outstanding, but Joe is every bit as good! I arrived at the
Lincoln Center in Ft. Collins exactly at 2:30 and found my way to the theater.
The girls were already rehearsing, so I just hung out for a bit watching. Andrea
Heiderer finally came over to me and told me I was welcome to just "go ahead
and do my thing." Imagine being a fly on the wall at a rehearsal of one of
the best Irish dance companies in the world! Using a digital camera and a 35mm
camera, I worked for over two hours. Aside from an occasional smile and glance
from the dancers, my presence wasn't noticed and I soon felt comfortable moving
about the stage, beyond the side curtains, and out amongst the empty seats taking
pictures of the girls rehearsing for the show that night. Having seen the
troupe perform almost a year ago, I knew how very much in tune they are with each
other. Some of them were new, and many I recognized from before. They are always
in perfect unison on stage, smiling, and professional. Watching the rehearsal
is so different. The dancers become individuals as they talk and joke with each
other. But they work very hard with only short breaks for water. These dancers
are very dedicated to what they are doing, and each helps out the others while
working through the various steps and choreography. The rehearsal director,
Deirdre, chants out "five, six, seven, eight!" in place of the absent music, and
the girls dance repeatedly through their steps until everyone is satisfied with
the result. This isn't a group that requires a taskmaster, but a group with a
leader taking them to a common goal, which is a perfect performance. By
5 o'clock it was obvious that the girls were getting tired and hungry. With instructions
to return 30 minutes before curtain time, the girls quickly dispersed and disappeared
to their dressing rooms. The "fly on the wall" gathered his equipment and left,
anxious to see what I knew would be a flawless performance that evening. I've
found in the last couple of years that no expense should be spared in getting
first-class seats at Irish dance shows. I saw Lord of the Dance in Las
Vegas last May and had front row seats. It was extraordinary! It's as if the dancers
are performing just for you. They make eye contact, and you can almost read their
minds. My seat at Trinity that night was in the second row back, and I
could see as closely as I had at rehearsal. The girls had makeup on, costumes
and hairpieces, but they were the talented individuals that they had become in
my mind that afternoon. Their best piece is "Curran Event". This entertaining
a cappella number features incredible body percussion done in a modern genre mixed
with traditional Irish footwork. Very cute, including a parody of Michael Flatley's
hissing flaming feet! And the costumes are right out of Catholic School! The
musicians were outstanding. Brendan acted as MC, and his Irish accent lent a perfect
charm to the visual fare. He's also an excellent musician and singer. Percussionist
and pipe player Stone is also amazing. Thanks go to Maureen Gill at Trinity,
to Bernadette, to Deirdre Mahoney for letting me work, and to the dancers, Mara,
Andrea, Alison, Colleen-Kate, Katie, Sarah, Megan, Ashley, Maureen, Ivy, Nora,
Ryan Marie, and Melissa for tolerating a photographer in their midst.
Feature,
Photos: Thomas Scalf
Original Web Design: Alexander Servas
Editing: Louise Owen | 
