Sugarloaf Mountain, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Brazilian dancer

“In the 1990’s, artists and the arts will play a central role as communicators of values in world consciousness of ecology and related social and cultural issues, working hand in hand with scientists and technology and the ancient knowledge of indigenous peoples as well.  It is my desire for my works for video, site, and stage to contribute to this global movement.”  Maida Withers, May 1991.

UNITED NATIONS EARTH SUMMIT (Eco ’92)
Maida Withers and the Dance Construction Company, and other artists and arts organizations, were registered participants in the United Nation’s Earth Summit (Eco ’92) and related activities in Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro through Projeto OMAME:

“100 world artists (individuals, organizations, and thinkers) celebrating the ecological cultural and spiritual diversity of the living earth and the interconnectedness of all that exists within the whole  event called universe.”   OMAME, an international congress of visual and performing artists for ecology, in Brazil, is a Yanomami indigenous word meaning “creative manifestation of all things.”  For further information about official participation in United Nation’s Earth Summit (Eco ’92), please see information at the conclusion of this  page.

FEATURED  BELOW:
BRASILIA, BRAZIL, Capital City (Projeto OMAME)
RIO DE JANEIRO (ECO ’92), BRAZIL (ECO ’92)

BRASILIA, BRAZIL: PROJETO OMAME
MAIDA WITHERS AND THE DANCE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
NATIONAL THEATER PERFORMANCE, FILM, EDUCATION WORKSHOPS
Brasilia, Brazil – May 11 to 16, 1992

Maida Withers Dance Dance Construction Company
DANCE CONCERT PROGRAM
Sala Martins Pena, National Theatre / Brasilia, Brazil
Concert:  May 12, 1992 @ 9pm (OMAMA formal opening public event)
Television Transmission – Dance Concert

National Theater

PROGRAM:  DANCE FOR THE EARTH
*Prologue (Cowboys and Indians Play) Solo, Maida Withers -1991
*Ancient Lands – Ancient Peoples – Spirit Path / Migration / Remains Maida Withers and Dana Burgess -1990
Music by David Hykes & Native American Singers – Raymond Duke, Nick Mandoza; Photographs / installation, Bruce Hucko

Intermission

ROLLING THUNDER (World Premiere)
Messenger Eagle, Spirit Figures, Still Rush, Rolling Thunder/Transformation
Rolling Thunder expresses an “earth myth” for the twenty-first century.  The gift, the knowledge of the earth, is brought forth symbolically by the Eagle, the Messenger.  All who hear the message change and transform themselves with the Earth.

Artists:   Concept/Choreography:  Maida Withers; Music: Shaman; Body Painting, Paula Nestarov; Spirit Figure Designs, Marcos Correa; Lighting, William DeMull; Dancers USA: Dana Tai Soon Burgess, Sandra Kammann, Stacy Palatt, Janine Ploetz; Dancers Brasilia:  Endansa Company: Christina Moura, Marina Nestorov, Mariza Correa, Simone Martins, Regina Mendanco.

Program note: Prologue and Ancient Lands – Ancient Peoples – based on exotic and desolate wilderness lands in the Four Corners area of the Southwestern United states, lands occupied for centuries by the Anasazi, ancient (indigenous) peoples of the Americas. These sacred lands constitute a unique place, a convergence of earth energy and spirit.  Withers began working at Earth sites  in  Utah in 1987 and continued for six years:  “I returned to the land of my birth to rediscover my roots only to find a more ancient nature, my own and that of others.”  Maida Withers

BRASILIA:  EDUCATION and OTHER PROJECTS:

INTERNATIONAL ART AND TECHNOLOGY PRESENTATION:
Universidade de Brasilia, Instituto de Artes, Department de Artes Visual presented Maida Withers and the Dance Construction Company in a research event, live performance and video, about Withers work, Aurora/2001: Dance of the Auroras – Fire in the Sky, at the Second International Conference on Art and Technology in Contemporary Culture.
May 6 to 10, 1992, Brasilia Brazil.

FILM SHOWING:
“SandS CircleS” stunning art video (28:30 min) by Maida Withers as “earth spirit” figure on Coral Dunes in Utah and White Sands in New Mexico.  SandS CircleS  premiered as parts of the OMAME video and film exhibition at the National Theater.
May 12, 1992, Brasilia, Brazil

US EMBASSY / BRASILIA:  A formal dinner and party hosted by Jack Barton, Cultural Affairs Officer, was held at his home, in honor of Maida Withers and the Dance Construction Company and guests, May 13, 1992. The Embassy was extremely helpful during our stay in locating items and people for the National Theatre production in Brasilia. Brasilia and DC were partner cities.
May 13, 1992 – Brasilia, Brazil

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:  During our residency in Brasilia, members of the Company collaborated with Instituto Natura Desenvolvimento Infanta, an ecology based elementary school, to create nature  posters  on ecology and “spirit figures,” on bamboo poles, of water, earth, fire, air, animals, birds, trees and other nature forms.  These children paraded their spirit figures of Brazilian animals, birds, trees, and other nature forms during the closing OMAME Project event, June 16, 1992 on the mall.  Maida and dancers taught workshops at the National Theatre studio and in the community of Brasilia for students from the University of Brasilia and other. Workshops were also held in Rio de Janeiro for participation of children in Eco ’92 public events.
June 16, 1992 – Participants – Public event on the mall

ACTIVITIES RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL: PROJETO OMAME
MAIDA WITHERS AND THE DANCE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
UNITED NATION’S EARTH SUMMIT (ECO ’92)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – June 2 to 14, 1992

GLOBAL HEART, Arena #2
Maida Withers performed Prologue and Dance Construction Company performed excerpts of Rolling Thunder in Global Heart, Arena #2 the opening day of the Global Forum.  Withers addressed the audience regarding her work as an artist for ecology prior to her performance. Withers video, SandS CycleS, was also shown.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Global Heart Arena
June 2, 1992 @ 9:00 pm

Maida Withers Dance Dance Construction Company
MUSEU DE ARTE MODERNA
COMMISSION TO CREATE SITE WORK
June 5, 1992 – create & perform at dusk, live music, rock carving
10,000 people in attendance; Interview and TV broadcast

Stone Garden premiered June 5, 1992, one of seven international exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art of Rio for the Eco ’92 conference.  For Stone Garden, American and Brazilian dancers, wearing skin colored leotards, crawled and slithered imperceptibly over large rough rocks from one end to the rock garden to another, at dusk. Keiki Prince, M.I.T. environmental artist, wet some rocks to make the crawl easier for dancers crawling for nearly one hour. Tiny lights were positioned in rock crevices to make interesting illusions during the crawl. “What is rock and what is human?” This amazing slow, intense, drama, was performed at dusk by DCCo dancers, Maida Withers, Dana Tai Soon Burgess, Stacy Palatt, Janine Ploetz, and Celia Portilho, Brazilian contemporary dancer.  Didgeridoo music by Harold Gent, Australian, and Craig Gibson, combined with penetrating sound of Ken Haritsuka, Japanese/American stone carving artist pounding as he carved a line drawing on the large Sugarloaf Mountain stone contributed by the Mayor of Rio de Janeiro. Video, above, provided by Evelyn Roth, Canadian artist. The message of unity between person and nature could not be clearer. Regina Miranda, national dance treasure in Brazil, was an important initiator through her vision as performance curator at the Museum de Arte Moderna.
June 5, 1992.

TV Globo: 
Excerpts of this performance event were telecast internationally on TV Globo June 7, 1990.  The museum dance event and an interview with Maida Withers were featured on the art program, “Curto Circuito,” (Short circuit-Avant Garde weekly show) on the cultural television channel in Rio de Janeiro.
Thursday, June 18, 1992.

CELEBRATION DE TERRA
Sponsor:  Global Forum. The City of Rio de Janieiro, International Center for Celebration (Sante Fe, New Mexico).
The celebration took place in the architectural gardens of Flamingo Park during the day and early evening, sponsored by Global Forum, the City of Rio de Janeiro, International Center for Celebration, international artists, others.  The Celebration de Terra was presented for Global Forum participants but more as an event for the residents of Rio de Janeiro, an opportunity for the citizen hosts of Earth Summit ’92 to join in a major celebration event by artists that did not require passes or tickets for admission…..thousands attended.  Events were performed simultaneously transforming and, sometimes, shocking for audience/public. Many of the radical and political artists were in the genre of “spectacle.” (a fire artist’s letters in the air above the beach, large scale man-made rainbow off shore, French fire works artist, other).

Maida Withers Dance Construction Company
Rolling Thunder / Transformation
Flamengo Beach Stage
June 10, 1992 @ 8:00 pm

Dana Tai Soon Burgess, Sandra Kammann, Stacy Palatt, Janine Ploetz and five contemporary Brazilian dancers (names TBD) performed Wither’s dramatic environment work, Rolling Thunder/Transformation on the Flamengo beach stage.

“There was so much excitement about creative engagement to move to a new level of commitment.” (Marilyn Wood, USA, Celebration Art ). This performance was open to Rio de Janeiro citizen “hosts” without a fee or a ticket….a mayor supported event.”

Note: 1000 Brazilian children with self-made banners about the earth watched dancers rehearse “Transformation.” Rio de Janeiro Flamingo Park, Celebration da Terre, June 10, 1992.

WORKSHOPS / Community Projects
Withers and the dancers conducted workshops for professional dancers in Rio de Janeiro in facilities provided by the University of Rio (UniRio).  Withers taught three workshops in choreography at the prestigious Centro de Estudos do Movimento e Artes in Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, and others.  Visual artists from Brazil and around the world created highly political installations on the beach and in Flamengo Park.

SAND CYCLES / FILM SHOWING
Maida Withers/DANCER & Verabel Cluff /FILMMAKER
Commanding film shot on Coral Sand Dunes, Kanab, Utah, and White Sands, New Mexico was selected for showing in Rio de Janeiro.  This epochal work describes a woman’s journey of self in nature, similar to Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey.
Global Artist’s Forum, Arena 7 – June 11, 1992

SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN SITE PERFORMANCES
Performers:  MWDCCo and international dancers, singers, others.
Open for artists and general public. 
June 9, 1992

Above: Documentary film by Evelyn Roth, Canada

Sugar Loaf Mountain Artists Event for Artists (and the public): 
Withers was focalizer for the earth site presentation.
MUD:  Stacy Palatt, Dana Burgess, DCCo, two Brazilian dancers, and Gloria McLean, NYC, performed in a dense wooded area.  Greg Gibsone, Australian and Harold Gejnt, Japanese/Canadian performed  on the Didgeridoo.  Fabric and cords were added to the natural setting by designer, Francois Perez, a French artist living in Japan.   MUD  (above) was a site performance by Stacy Palatt, Dance Construction Company, with Gloria McLain, USA dance artist from NYC, and others in a performance on the amazing Sugarloaf Mountain overlooking the City of Rio de Janeiro. Marilia, US/Brazil/Japan extreme vocal artist and friend of Maida and DCCo was present and involved as well.
June 9, 1992, 10 am to 12 noon.
View:  Evelyn Roth Documentary Film @ Sugarloaf Mountain;
Gloria McLain, NYC, & MWDCCo/Stacy Palatt & Audience (13:00 – 21:14)
Rio de Janeiro – Sugar Loaf Mountain
June 9, 1992

The final day of Eco ’92, June 14, 1992, there were many site performances in many locations on Sugarloaf Mountain.  MWDCCo dancers participated with other international artist through improvisation events in various locations on the beautiful, challenging, and sacred, Sugar Loaf Mountain. The mountain was vibrant and alive with artists from around the world celebrating Brazil and the earth through various public events celebrating the first world earth summit, Eco ’92.

PUBLIC SUPPORT …  BEACH PARADE  … PROTEST:
JUNE 8, 1992 – Copacabana Beach Atlantica
During Eco ’92, Maida and friends carried an outstretched white bed sheet in an official  “support parade” down the length of Copacabana Beach bearing the text, “STOP Bushwhacking the Planet…signed “artists for nature.” This was a reminder to all that USA’s President Bush did not attend the world’s first environment conference, Eco ’92, but sent Vice President Al Gore.

UNITED NATION’S EARTH SUMMIT PARTICIPATION:
International Conference on Celebration (Celebration da Terra), USA, was our official connection with all formal OMAME event/activity related to the United Nation’s Earth Summit (Eco ’92).  Projeto OMAME began programming in Brasilia, Brazil May 11 to 16, 1992 prior to United Nation’s Earth Summit, Eco ’92, June 2-14, 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.   Projecto OMAME, including Celebration de Terra artists, were approved through United Nations Conference on Environment and Development through the GLOBAL FORUM – the center of activities for all non-government organizations (NGO’s) – EARTH SUMMIT (ECO ’92).  The project was included, by the GTN, National Working Group for the Preparation of the UNCED, in the official cultural agenda of the Conference.  Dance Construction Company had passes allowing participation in activities and presentations at the Global Village.

Maida Withers Dance Construction Company’s five-week tour was funded, in part, by private contributors, participating artists, National Endowment for the Arts through the DC Commission for the Arts, George Washington University, and individual donors.

APPRECIATION & GRATITUDE:
MWDCCo dancers (Maida Withers, Dana Tai Soon Burgess, Sandra Kammann, Stacy Palatt, and Janine Ploetz) contributed greatly to the arts environment in both Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro for this historic summit. We were grateful for the privileges given us at the Summit.  Rolling Thunder and Stone Garden was destined to be the first of many projects in Brazil by Maida and DCCo.

Gratitude is expressed to Marilyn Wood, International Center for Celebration, who invited us to engage in this powerful moment in history of global commitment, including the arts, as a vital vehicle, to  support planet earth for Brazil, ‘Eco 92.

DEPARTURE:
Maida and Company departed Rio de Janeiro to participate in a festival in Belo Horizante, Brazil.
Maida continued deep involvement in Brazil with several projects including Tania Fraga, interactive dance/technology and Mirtes Calheiros, cia artesaos do corpo, others.

What the press is saying

A Terra como sujeito e alma da danca (need Portugese translation Celso Araujo

"Dancer/choreographer, Maida Withers, stalks her audience, grabs and tugs them into her realm of primitive earth. "Art is the vehicle to acknowledge the power within us. As an artist for the earth" she says, "I try to focus on power from within, not power over the planet...a reverence, a nurturing to make both the self whole and the earth whole." Shaun Tate