1990   “It is my desire to bring to life, through dance, music, and visual imagery, the extraordinary physical and spiritual powers experienced when visiting the land of the four corners area in the Southwestern United States and to express the mystery and power of this exotic land and its inhabitants.  This work is a quest for the spirit that resides there, a search inside the world of contemporary and ancient myth and legend.”  Maida Withers, 1990
Video above is at vimeo.com #93606130.

EARTH SPIRIT RISING – CONCERT  (March 30, 1990)
Evening-length concert featuring 4 works:
In Earth’s Belly Deep…an emergence myth  (new aerial quartet: https://vimeo.com/93606130)  Cecily Carsky-Miller joined the Company from NYC where she was an aerialist.
Moving Earth/Dunes – first light of day (Maida Withers Solo, In Winds of Sand – https://vimeo.com/101621322)
Mountain Birthing…a metaphor, a beginning  (Maida Withers & John Lancaster Duet, Ledge: https://vimeo.com/100503881)
Path/Migration…the journey…the perfect courage (expanded to a quartet  of Path/Migration duet by Maida Withers and Mark Thompson, https://vimeo.com/101653079)
She was a Visitor…the spirit of place (Maida Withers and Mark Thompson)

Concept and Choreography: Maida Withers with Dancers
Dancers: Cecily Carsky-Miller, Mark Thompson, John Lancaster, Maida Withers.
Music: Michael Willis, William Christie, Rogelio MaxWell, Urban Sax,
Light Design: Carl F. Gudenius
Costume Design:  Mark Thompson
Consultant: Brook Andrews
Utah Film:  James Byrne and Maida Withers
Set:  Brian Siegel
Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre, Washington, DC.

Video: Marvin Center Theatre, Washington, DC|
No video: First performance in Arlington, VA.

URL:  http://maidadance.com/works/earth-spirit-rising/

Cecily Carsky-Miller was an aerial artist .Mark Thompson.
Dancers enter from batons above the stage suspended on ropes = decent to the stage…emergence to earth.

Mark Thompson

Mark Thompson and Cecily Carsky-Miller enter from above stage.

Dunes, Maida Withers

What the press is saying

Maida Withers is not part of mainstream modern dance -- she is leading it. Withers has always been ahead of her time, experimenting with lasers, collaborations and multimedia. Movements Withers designed 10 to 15 years ago are now standard fare. But the restless searching Withers has already moved far beyond others' grasp Linda Dinsmore