(2010) November 6 & 7  Naked Truth, Dance Place premiere (first presentation), an exquisite, meticulously designed  trio choreographed by Maida Withers with dancers Anthony Gongora, Tzveta Kassaabova, and Giselle Ruzany – three seasoned and deeply dedicated international dance artists. Original music is composed and performed live by Steve Hilmy.
Naked Truth engages with projected kinetic cyber scenarios (bots for robots) by Tania Fraga, virtual/computer artist , Sao Paulo, Brazil.  Ayodamola (Ayo) Okunseinde and Michael Kim, technical artists, were interacting in real time with the dancers through computer manipulation.  Their work involved “real-time” manipulation of  virtual images created by Fraga, visual art & technology (view performance video).   Naked Truth as a title seems appropriate since the idea is “the naked truth about dance is that most dance is about dancing and not about anything else!”  Maida Withers

Dance Place:  “This program and these works have been made possible, in part, by the U.S. Department of State Cultural Envoy Program and the U.S. Embassy, Nairobi Kenya; US Embassy, Zagreb, Croatia, FAPESP (Sao Paulo Research Foundation), Brazil, ASSCAP; DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts; and The George Washington University and the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Maida Withers, Ayo Okunseinde, Steve Hilmy and individual donors.

Naked Truth was, also, performed at Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts by Maida Withers and the Dance Construction Company (date TBD).

MWDCCO Archive: Naked Truth, in Maida Withers Dance Construction Company archive, includes:
a) three-page “choreography notes/script” for performing “Naked Truth;”
b) three-page “BOTS” script for performing BOTS as part of “Naked Truth.”

Tzveta Kassabova
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Giselle Ruzany and Tzveta Kassabova
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Tzveta Kassabova

Giselle Ruzany

Giselle Ruzany and Tzveta Kassabova

**Above photographs – taken during rehearsal in costumes for photos only.
Hand painted costumes, above, were created for Thresholds Crossed.

Movements from Naked Truth explored during a dance shoot for Dance Portraits on Screen, a project of dance footage shot in a television studio that was then given to two different editors to create art videos for showing in a gallery as companion works.
Visit: Dance Portraits on Screen:
https://maidadance.com/works/tzveta-i-film/

TZVETA II (Film) Dance Portraits on Screen

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Photo Location:  Belle Faccia Television Studio, Washington, DC. Photos and video of Tzveta performing Naked Truth phases became the dance footage dance videos: Tzveta I and Tzveta II.

Photo, Below:  Tvzeta Kassabova photo from Naked Truth combined with Guardians Sculpture by Adam Peiperl, visual artist and photographer

What the press is saying

"Followed by the lovely, quietly introspective trio, "Naked Truth," danced by broad-chested but gentle partner Anthony Gongora, quirky, quick footed Tzveta Kassabova and petite, gazelle-like Giselle Ruzany, this first performance shimmers with a subtle lifeforce, especially in the wake of Withers' urgent admonition: "What do I know about....children...dwindling rivers ... deserts ... groundwater used up....? There's a zest and ease to "Naked Truth" with its restful, friendly partnerships intertwining and separating then re-alligning. It serves as an apt anecdote, following Withers' fazor sharp screed." Lisa Traiger

"Dance DC Weekend Events Guide" Cecile

" the piece features three strong dancers, and rather than aiming to make a statement, it’s simply a demonstration of beautiful movement. It’s still another of Withers’ strengths: strong, challenging choreography with composition that weaves dancers in and out of various groupings. Dancers Tzveta Kassabova, Giselle Ruzany, and Anthony Gongora have very different styles, but each is a talented dancer and the piece is a joy to watch." Amanda Abrams, Washington City Paper