(2001) Auroras Dance 2001 February 3, at 6:00 pm Smithsonian Air and Space Einstein Planetarium / 6th Street & Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC   FREE, Seating Limited.

In the immersive environment of the Smithsonian Planetarium, the dancer as shaman leads the audience on a poetic visual journey from the turbulent Sun through Earth’s auroras, the mystical northern and southern lights.  The visual installation of animations, video, and images originating from cameras abroad spacecraft will be presented by Tania Fraga, Brazilian computer artist and virtual animator, and David Liban, Washington filmmaker.  Pal Brekke, SOHO Deputy Project Scientist with the European Space Agency and NASA introduces Aurora/2001 with a presentation of the latest satellite images of the SUN.

Science and Art – Dance of the Auroras – Fire in the Sky  presentation was sponsored by and took place in the large domed Smithsonian Albert Einstein Planetarium, Washington, DC, 6th Street & Independence Avenue SW. This presentation of art & science occurred  the week prior to the premiere of Dance Construction Company stage work, Dance of the Auroras – Fire in the Sky, Lisner Auditorium, Washington, DC, February 15 and 16, 2001.

The Science and Art evening featured scientist presentations from NASA and other space agencies in Colorado and a performance by Dance Construction Company dancers with live interactive virtual worlds projected on Smithsonian Planetarium walls. Images projected related to earth’s auroras and visual data from NASA – visual projections managed live during the event by Tania Fraga, Professor, Art and Technology, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The event was sold out. It was a powerful moment for both the audience and the Dance Construction Company.

During the four years that Dance of the Auroras was being researched, Maida traveled and met with Auroral Scientists in Russia (All Sky Camera creator), Norway (University of Tromso), Sweden (met with a possible composer);  Alaska (University of Alaska, Fairbanks), and, of course, at NASA headquarters in Washington, DC…..and others.

At the time, NASA was not, yet, displaying daily activity of the SUN online.  Four satellites were put in place at this time to observe and report the activities of the SUN.  This made it important to broadcast online the four versions of eruptions on the SUN.  NASA was very helpful in providing information and also connecting Maida to scientists and photographers from around the globe. Maida spent two weeks at University of Alaska, Fairbanks,  Alaska collaborating with NASA scientists and faculty from the University. Each night they traveled to the observation station in the hopes the Aurora would be visible. Maida was honored to join in the ritual in hopes there would be a display.  Maida had earlier spent two weeks in Tromso, Norway at the University of Tromso where the Aurora is a primary research topic in the region.

Joseph Mills, Maida Withers Dance Construction Company, interacts with and maneuvers the cyber image of the SUN with the wireless mouse in his hand.  The wireless mouse was a newly invented device at that time.
Tania Fraga, Cyber Artist