Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, Washington, DC

(2001) Auroras 2001  (one week prior to the dance premiere ? date)
Science & Art – Dance of the Auroras – Fire in the Sky  presentation was  sponsored by and took place in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in the large domed Albert Einstein Planetarium, Washington, DC.  This presentation of art & science occurred  the week prior to the premiere of the stage work, Dance of the Auroras – Fire in the Sky, Lisner Auditorium, Washington, DC.

The evening featured scientist presentations from NASA and other space agencies in Colorado and a performance by dancers with live interactive virtual worlds projected on Smithsonian Planetarium walls, images 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 possible composer);  Alaska (University of Alaska, Fairbanks), and, of course, at NASA headquarters in Washington, DC.

At that time NASA was not, yet, displaying daily activity of the Sun online.  Four satellites were put in place to observe and report the activities of the SUN at this time. NASA was very helpful in providing information and also connected 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 had earlier spent two weeks in Tromso, Norway at the University where the Aurora was the primary research topic.