CRANBERRY TWP — A rising Seneca Valley High senior may be on his way to touring the world and helping others.

Aaron Wolf, 17, plans on touring with the Trinity Irish Dance Company next month in Japan. The company is a performance troupe based out of Chicago.

The troupe is preparing for a three-week tour of the country from July 1 to 19, where it will perform free shows for two cities that have suffered recent disasters.

“I am humbled,” Wolf said. “I’m really excited that we were given the opportunity to help over there and give some hope for people who may not have much.”

Kumamoto in Japan was hit with earthquakes in April, resulting in thousands of injuries and about 90 deaths.

Consequently, one of the shows planned there was canceled due to damage to the theater.

However, the troupe is determined to raise funds to pay for its trip to that region and perform for the people of Kumamoto for free.

The dancers also hope to return to perform a free show in Fukushima, where they visited the tsunami disaster victims in 2012.

The company has developed an online campaign which started Wednesday with a video, which can be found at www.trinityirishdancecompany.com/danceforjapan.

“I remember them sending an e-mail about how we didn’t even debate on giving up one of our free days to go and do this,” Wolf said of the campaign and traveling to Japan. “Everyone is all for it.”

Wolf has been a competitive dancer with the Bell School of Irish Dance for 11 years.

He said he began dancing after seeing his sister, Caitlin, perform in studios.

“They were looking for boys to start since obviously a lot of us don’t dance,” Wolf said. “I just picked it up after about a year in first grade.”

Wolf has competed locally, regionally, nationally and internationally, traveling to the World Championships each year for the past seven years in Scotland, England, Ireland, Canada, and the U.S.

He placed fourth at the North American National Championships in Rhode Island in July, won the Mid-American Oireachtas (regional championships) in Minneapolis in November and placed ninth and received a world medal in March at the World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.

However, Wolf’s dream has been to perform with a professional Irish dance company. He auditioned in November for the Trinity Irish Dance Company in Minneapolis.

“He just kind of fell into it,” Ellie Wolf, Aaron’s mother said. “His friend was going and asked for him to come. Aaron went kind of as a lark and ended up getting an offer.”

Several weeks later, Aaron was asked to join the company, and this past weekend, he performed for the first time with the troupe at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago as part of the Rhythm Fest.

“I am excited for him,” said Ellie Wolf. “I didn’t dance and never had the opportunities when I was his age. It’s an opportunity not many 17-year-olds get.”

The troupe is hoping to raise at least $15,000 by July 10 to offset the cost of providing the free performances in Japan.

“It still hasn’t hit me that I’ll be on the plane to Japan in three weeks,” Aaron Wolf said. “I don’t really know what to expect, but I’ll be looking forward to it.”

He plans on being involved with the group while attending school at Seneca Valley.

Proceeds from the campaign will be donated to the Red Cross earthquake relief fund.

Trinity Irish Dance Company is a 501(c) 3 organization. Donations are tax deductible.