(1980) May 9 Rehearsal for City Dance ’80 performance at Warner Theater (little time for rehearsal at Warner Theater so we rehearsed at Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre)

(1979)Original cast rehearsing in Bldg K, documenting Catching Butterflies and Other Things That Move choreography/phrases.

(1980) May 9 Washington Performing Arts Society CITY DANCE  80’s  –  “Historic” Warner Theater, Washington, DC (many are companies presented in this DC dance festival)

(1979)Catching Butterflies and Other Things That Move

Don Zuckerman, dancer; John Bailey, costume

Photos for Catching Butterflies by Dennis DeLoria, Washington, DC

“Fast paced dance of a recurring movement phrase where dancers interrupt and obstruct the motion of other dancers. The movements used to interrupt and those movements that are interrupted are both manipulated and employed in the structural development of the choreography.”

The idea is that all movements are equal in value. The dance movement interrupted by someone grabbing an arm and the grabbing gesture, itself, all have equal value as dance and can be danced independent of the function of interruption. The movements required to interrupt and stop a dancer became movements in the choreography even when they did not interrupt a dancer. (M. Withers)  See history below.Brook Andrews and Ann McDonald

John Bailey, noted visual artist and one of the founders of Maida Withers Dance Construction Company, hand painted each unique “butterfly” costume (accessible in Company archives).  Each costume was based on an actual butterfly.  John Bailey is known widely for his Marilyn Monroe  painting on the hair salon building on Connecticut Avenue in Washington, DC. (see Marilyn Monroe  painting below).

Don Zuckerman, Maida Withers, Brook Andrews – original cast

Maida…  “I love the ‘Butterflies’ work….clean and clear movements.  Very much enjoyed being “interrupted and interrupting others,” quickly and quietly with ease and dignity! Exotic costumes hand painted by John Bailey are in the DCCo collection.”

(1979) April 27/28 8:00 pm or  (1980) March 1 @ 8:00 pm and March 2 (5 & 8 pm)
First Performance of Catching Butterflies and Other Things that Move.
Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre
Original Dance Phrase:  Brook Andrews
Musician/Composer: Steven Bates, woodwinds
Light Design: William Demull
Costumes:  John Bailey
Dancers:  2 men, 3 women

(1979 May decide to delete this first performance if do not confirm theatre, dates, etc: 
Catching Butterflies and Other Things That Move, Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre or Building K Studio  Theatre (817 23rd Street NW) – Washington, DC;  dates are confusing: Friday/Saturday  April 27/28, 1979 8:00 pm.  Televsion  Television PSA states: (https://vimeo.com/9067928) spoken and written dates conflict (February 28 & March 1 at 8:00 pm and March 2 at 5:00 and 8:00 pm, 1979.  (Brook Andrews, Diane Floyd, Kay Hartman, Anne McDonald, Maida Withers and Don Zuckerman.   (Changes will occur as documentation gets found in the archives)

Brook Andrews

Alan M. Kreigsman, Washington, Post:  City Dance ’80 presents MWDCCo in the Warner Theatre  sponsored by Washington Performing Arts Society, May 9, 1980 at 8:00 pm. Liz Lerman was the Artistic Advisor for City Dance.  Warner Theatre cast included Brook Andrews, Kathryn Hartman, Anne McDonald, Vincent Wineglass (future dancer with Ailey and Cunningham), Maida Withers, Don Zuckerman.

Don Zuckerman, Brook Andrews, Ann McDonald, Maida WithersAnn McDonald and Brook Andrews

John Bailey, founding member of MWDCCo and artist for hand-painted costumes for  Catching Butterflies and Other Things That Moves. John, a visual artist, is widely  known for the mural, located at 2602 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington D.C.  The portrait depicts pop culture icon Marilyn Monroe on the upper outside wall of Salon Roi.^[1] It was created in 1981 by artist John Bailey. It was commissioned by Charles Stinson for Salon Roi’s owner, Roi Barnard’s 40th birthday.^[2]

Marilyn Monroe Mural by John Bailey, dancer and visual artist, DCCo founding company (corner of Connecticut Ave. and Calvert Street, Washington, DC)

In 2001, the Woodley Park Neighborhood Association donated funds and brought Bailey back to Washington, DC to restore the mural to its original vibrancy, as it had faded greatly.^[3] New lights, donated by Starwood Urban, were installed to illuminate the mural at night. The Chipotle Mexican Grill on the corner of Connecticut Ave. and Calvert St., located below the mural, pays for the ongoing electrical costs for the lighting.^[3]
The mural has gained widespread fame as a Washington D.C landmark. It is a stop on the Old Towne Trolley tourist bus, and is consistently reproduced in paintings, T-shirts, calendars and postcards.^[4] It was voted as the first runner-up in the Washington City Paper‘s Reader’s Poll: Best Mural of D.C 2014.^[5]

Butterflies dance History: Catching Butterflies and Other Things That Move, was originally based on a phrase composed by Brook Andrews for a previous work, Phase Tracing,  developed in 1979-80 with four MWDCCo dancers.  The phrase in Phase Tracing became the “bedrock” material for Catching Butterflies and Other Things That Move.  For Butterflies, dancers moving horizontally across and through the space (frequent exists) were embellished to be interrupted by another dancer blocking and then releasing the movement for the dancer to continue.  Entering and exiting became essential to the choreography.  These moves became the dance, Catching Butterflies and Other things that Move, where dancers wore original costumes each hand painted  by John Bailey, dancer and visual artist, based on one unique butterfly for each costume.

Original Cast of Dancers Maida Withers, Don Zuckerman, Diane Floyd

Diane Floyd, Don Zuckerman, Maida Withers
Don Zuckerman, Maida Withers, Diane Floyd, original cast (including Brook Andrews)

Ad prepared for press (conflict in spoken word and written text – ie: dates and location)

Note:  The spoken text and written text does not match.  Including because the choreography may be of interest that is included in the ad.

Original hand painted Costume photos:

Photos: DCCo costume collection

Brook Andrews, DCCo Founding Dancer

What the press is saying

D.C. Dance Fever "After a jubilant kickoff celebration last Saturday afternoon, City Dance '80 continues its celebration with three nights of performances at Washington's Warner Theatre. Ten companies plus a world premiere will be featured in the three consecutive concerts, beginning tonight, Thursday, May 8, 1980 at 8:00 pm." Carolyn Kelemen

The Washington Performing Arts Society will present ten resident dance companies plus a world premiere for City Dance'80 during the festival which continues Friday and Saturday at 8:00 pm." Arlington-Alexandria Calendar