About
Trinity Irish Dance Academy offers Irish dance through weekly dance classes, dance camps, and a free trial dance class. Dancers can take part in the Trinity Performance Troupe (TPT), perform around St. Patrick’s Day, and enter competitions. Beginner dancers start by learning dances such as the Light Jig and Reel and can progress at their own pace using the Trinity Method, which includes solo dancing, team dancing, and performance.
• Ages: 3½–12 years old
• Schedule: Weekly River Program classes for ages 3½–5 are 45 minutes, and weekly Cork/Derry Program classes for ages 6–12 are 1 hour; beginner dancers attend an hour-long weekly class for the first trimester and add a second weekly performance-focused class starting in January; Trinity’s dance season runs Fall through Summer with beginner classes running roughly September through June/July depending on location and day; Trinity’s River Program allows year-round weekly core class enrollment; the Cork/Derry Program is recommended for Fall enrollment; there is an additional weekly Trinity Performance Troupe class January through March for children who would like to perform; there is a 10-week Spring Camp in March 2026 and 3-Day Jingle Jig camps in December 2025.
• Price: River Program (ages 3½–5) is $74 per month and Cork/Derry Program (ages 5–12) is $78 per month, both charged the first week of the month to the payment method on file; an annual non-refundable $100 per family administrative registration fee applies to weekly classes and does not apply to camps.
Trinity Irish Dance Academy was founded by Mark Howard in 1982 and has been in operation for over 40 years. Trinity won America’s first world championship team title in 1987 and brought home the first gold for the United States in all three team categories. The program states its mission as “Elevating children, the community, and the world through the power and grace of Irish dance.” Trinity has been recognized with awards such as “Best Dance Studio – Gold 2025 Best of Madison,” “Best Dance Program” from Shepherd Express, “Best Dance Studio” from Chicago Reader, and “Best Dance Class for Kids” from CBS, and its legacy has been featured on the National CBS Evening News “Heart of America” segment, as well as on six episodes of The Tonight Show and on CONAN. Trinity is described as the most recognized Irish dance program in the world and as an institution in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Madison that has shaped the lives of over 10,000 students, and its program is described as a radical departure from typical programs.
Dancers in the River Program (ages 3½–5) attend preschool-level classes geared toward learning to move their bodies, count music, take turns, and perform on stage with older buddies, with opportunities to perform starting in March. Beginner dancers in the Cork/Derry Program (ages 5–12) start learning the Light Jig and Reel and are introduced to a second weekly class focused purely on performing beginning in January, with beginner dancers taking the stage for the first time around St. Patrick’s Day. Trinity offers three ways to take first steps as a Trinity Irish dancer: a free trial class, dance camps (including summer camps for River and Cork/Derry ages), and weekly classes, and a free trial class is available any time of year at all studios.
For weekly classes, dancers are asked to wear shorts and a T-shirt with white socks and Irish dance shoes, and they may begin in tennis shoes or ballet slippers for the first few classes until they are able to get Irish dance shoes; clothing should be comfortable and non-restrictive to allow easy movement. All children who would like to perform in the Trinity Performance Troupe must purchase a costume, and dancers in the River Program who perform must pay a small registration fee and purchase a costume. Parents are not allowed to observe weekly classes, but scheduled parent observation and meeting nights occur every 1–2 months, and all locations have parent waiting areas.
Last updated January 11, 2026.
• Ages: 3½–12 years old
• Schedule: Weekly River Program classes for ages 3½–5 are 45 minutes, and weekly Cork/Derry Program classes for ages 6–12 are 1 hour; beginner dancers attend an hour-long weekly class for the first trimester and add a second weekly performance-focused class starting in January; Trinity’s dance season runs Fall through Summer with beginner classes running roughly September through June/July depending on location and day; Trinity’s River Program allows year-round weekly core class enrollment; the Cork/Derry Program is recommended for Fall enrollment; there is an additional weekly Trinity Performance Troupe class January through March for children who would like to perform; there is a 10-week Spring Camp in March 2026 and 3-Day Jingle Jig camps in December 2025.
• Price: River Program (ages 3½–5) is $74 per month and Cork/Derry Program (ages 5–12) is $78 per month, both charged the first week of the month to the payment method on file; an annual non-refundable $100 per family administrative registration fee applies to weekly classes and does not apply to camps.
Trinity Irish Dance Academy was founded by Mark Howard in 1982 and has been in operation for over 40 years. Trinity won America’s first world championship team title in 1987 and brought home the first gold for the United States in all three team categories. The program states its mission as “Elevating children, the community, and the world through the power and grace of Irish dance.” Trinity has been recognized with awards such as “Best Dance Studio – Gold 2025 Best of Madison,” “Best Dance Program” from Shepherd Express, “Best Dance Studio” from Chicago Reader, and “Best Dance Class for Kids” from CBS, and its legacy has been featured on the National CBS Evening News “Heart of America” segment, as well as on six episodes of The Tonight Show and on CONAN. Trinity is described as the most recognized Irish dance program in the world and as an institution in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Madison that has shaped the lives of over 10,000 students, and its program is described as a radical departure from typical programs.
Dancers in the River Program (ages 3½–5) attend preschool-level classes geared toward learning to move their bodies, count music, take turns, and perform on stage with older buddies, with opportunities to perform starting in March. Beginner dancers in the Cork/Derry Program (ages 5–12) start learning the Light Jig and Reel and are introduced to a second weekly class focused purely on performing beginning in January, with beginner dancers taking the stage for the first time around St. Patrick’s Day. Trinity offers three ways to take first steps as a Trinity Irish dancer: a free trial class, dance camps (including summer camps for River and Cork/Derry ages), and weekly classes, and a free trial class is available any time of year at all studios.
For weekly classes, dancers are asked to wear shorts and a T-shirt with white socks and Irish dance shoes, and they may begin in tennis shoes or ballet slippers for the first few classes until they are able to get Irish dance shoes; clothing should be comfortable and non-restrictive to allow easy movement. All children who would like to perform in the Trinity Performance Troupe must purchase a costume, and dancers in the River Program who perform must pay a small registration fee and purchase a costume. Parents are not allowed to observe weekly classes, but scheduled parent observation and meeting nights occur every 1–2 months, and all locations have parent waiting areas.
Last updated January 11, 2026.
Is this your business? There is no cost, but you will be asked to sign up or log in.