(1994)  May 2, 3,4  Ancient Lands – Ancient Peoples – solo by Maida Withers for the 13th International Dance Festival, Seoul, Korea, performing with renowned Korean saxophonist, Kang Tae Hwan with experimental vocals by Marilia (recorded) and with projection of stunning film footage of extreme Utah earth images and dancers shot by James Byrne and Bruce Hucko. In this dramatic work, grounded by the association with the Earth, Maida performs as a primal figure sometimes with painted white face while employing rocks and even plastic tubes flowering from her head as a shaman figure – the power of female creativity emerging from the hole in her head.

The  13th International Dance Festival was staged in the prestigious Munye Theatre in Seoul, Korea’s Daehangno arts district, a premiere performing arts center for contemporary and traditional Korean dance now officially named the Arko Arts Theater.  The performance was followed by teaching and performing in Hong Kong and  Guangzhou, China. The tour concluded in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where Maida was graciously honored by the government.

Ancient Lands – Ancient Peoples is an important early development of Maida Withers environment initiatives. The specific concept of Ancient Lands – Ancient Peoples for solo expression emerged for Withers individual  (solo) explorations on land sites in the Four Corner’s area with video artist, Verabel Call Cluff.  Annual trips for research and exploration of specific landsites in Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado continued annually over a six/seven year period starting in 1988-1996  (https://maidadance.com/works/utah project research residency).

Dancing on site during the Utah Project, Maida explored and improvised while Verabel Call Cluff, filmmaker, documented with a video camera. This provided footage that was projected on stage during the live performance creating a monumental “earth” environment.  Living and working under the Sun in harsh, yet spectacular lands, lands with a deep indigenous history, allowed for work to develop an association with shamanic powers and their role in more ancient cultures.  Maida’s tours in Asia coincided with these notions.  Several performances emerged. Each solo performance of Ancient Lands – Ancient Peoples allowed Withers the opportunity to explore personal and unique movements that  embodied similar style and phrases along with unusual throat sounds, vocals and chants.

https://vimeo.com/540160659/  (insert actual video)

Withers history of related EARTH WORKS:  Path, 1989 during the two-week Yellow Springs residency in Philadelphia, Spirit Path / Migration duet by Withers and Mark Thompson, and Spirit Path / Migration / Remains, quartet generated some of the movement style and primal intention. In 1993, Maida’s monumental solo, In Winds of Sand further revealed Withers interest in dance and shamanic ideas and practice.

Variations of the  work, Ancient Lands – Ancient Peoples were  performed in Tokyo, Japan, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China; and the spectacular performance at the Jooksan Festival, Ansung, Korea (Asia Tour, 1995) on a red earth stage.

The family of Maida Rust Withers lived in southern Utah for six generations.  Withers explores her discovery, over a period of the past five years, of her ancient self.  Through living and working at wilderness earth site with artists and others, Withers has developed her keen interest and devotion to indigenous peoples and to our planet earth.

(1995) May 16 – July 14  During the second Asian tour, Maida performed Ancient Lands – Ancient Peoples for the Jooksan (Juksan) Festival, one hour from Seoul, Korea, a newly established festival established by Hong Sin Cha, historic figure in post modern dance in Korea.  Ancient Lands – Ancient Peoples was performed on a large natural man-made red-earth stage in the beautiful Korean mountains. Maida was so honored to perform in the theatre established by Hong Sin Cha. Ancient Lands – Ancient Peoples was viewed by Maida as related to Shamanic work.

 Juksan International Arts Festival (often spelled Jooksan) took place in the town of Juksan-myeon, located in the mountainous region of Anseong (Ansong), Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.  The celebrated avant-garde Korean dancer Hong Sin Cha (Sin Cha Hong) founded her “Laughing Stone” dance company community there after returning to Korea from international practice, transforming the rural mountain town into a vibrant center for international performance art and meditation.

Tubes did not actually make it into the performance but the white painted face was present and important.

Below: (1995) May 16-June 14 – South Korea Tour
Korea Dance Magazine Editor & Maida Withers, Jooksan Festival     

Above: (1995) May 16-June 14 Hong Sin Cha, Dance Magazine Editor, with Shaman (left) conducting cleansing ritual in the home of ill father.                        

Above: Korean teachers at the Jooksan (Juksan) Festival in Korea, 1995.

What the press is saying

In the rehearsal hall of Guangdong Modern Dance Company, I met 57-year-old Ms. Maida Withers from the United States ... with her golden hair, the graceful outline of her face, her big-boned frame and her forceful and brilliant dancing posture... God gave her a perfect figure to be a dancer. Xu Ling, Guangzhou Youth Daily, Guangdong, China Xu Ling