The board of directors of the American Company of Irish Dance is pleased to announce that the Greater Milwaukee Foundation's* Bill Borchert Larson Fund has awarded an annual grant of $75,000 to support the general operations of the dance company.
This announcement is being celebrated in conjunction with St Patrick’s Day, with a short virtual performance by members of the American Company of Irish Dance.
The special St. Patrick's Day performance is dedicated to the memory of Bill Larson and will debut across all AMCO social media platforms - Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram - at 10 am CST on Wednesday, March 17th.
In addition, the Company’s artistic directors, Shane McAvinchey and Paula Goulding, and their guests will be live on Facebook and YouTube on St. Patrick's day at 2.30 pm (CST) as they discuss this special time for AMCO and Irish Dance.
The American Company of Irish Dance is a not-for-profit, Irish dance company that fulfills a demonstrated need for a year-round cultural presence in professional Irish dance. This professional performing arts group aims to give energetic and experienced performers the opportunity to showcase their talents to an ever-increasing audience while providing greater access to one of the most captivating performing art forms available.
In spite of current health restrictions, the American Company of Irish Dance (AMCO), under the artistic direction McAvinchey and Goulding, is moving ahead with plans for its all-new production scheduled for late 2021, pending public health restrictions. The Larson grant is helping to provide some of the revenue necessary for this big undertaking.
McAvinchey and Goulding, former Riverdance stars, bring decades of professional Irish dance experience to their roles as Artistic Directors for AMCO. Through their skills, they are developing AMCO into a unique platform for promoting Irish dance as an art form which is the core of AMCO's nonprofit mission. As leaders, teachers, and innovators, McAvinchey and Goulding nurture a caring community of AMCO’s professional Irish dancers who bring entertainment, enjoyment, and the art form to audiences worldwide.
Goulding says, “To work with a company whose mission is primarily to nurture talent within our beloved and beautiful art form is not just a joy to be a part of but a privilege."
“Despite the times that we find ourselves living in, working on bringing AMCO to the world stage when the world is ready for it is hugely rewarding and exciting. Never more than now has a company like this, whose mission is essentially one of care, been needed," says McAvinchey.
For more information or to support the American Company of Irish Dance see, AMCOIrishDance.org. Contact info@amcoirishdance.org or +1 414-235-7671 with questions.
For a century, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation has helped individuals, families and organizations realize their philanthropic goals and make a difference in the community, during their lifetimes, and for future generations. The Foundation consists of more than 1,300 individual charitable funds, each created by donors to serve the charitable causes of their choice. The Foundation also deploys both human and financial resources to address the most critical needs of the community and ensure the vitality of the region. Established in 1915, the Foundation was one of the first community foundations in the world and is now among the largest.
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