(1964 thru 1973) Dance works were created by Maida Withers in Washington, DC prior to establishing Maida Withers Dance Construction Company as a not-for-profit federally tax-exempt organization in 1976. Performers included dancers from the community and MA and BA dance alumni or enrolled students at George Washington University. Regrettably, complete information (photos, programs, other) is not available at this time.
On occasion, Maida danced with others such as the Contemporary Dance Company of Washington, DC (see below) and with Erica Thimey (distinguished German Dance artist).
1974 – MWDCCo became an official group and began the process of applying for DC and federal 501-C-3 tax-exempt status as a non-profit cultural organization. 501-C3 Status was achieved in 1976 even though the Company began performing in 1974. See listing of select dance works:
1973- Passage Nine; Choreography by Maida Withers for 9 dancers doing 9 phrases to music for nine horns b
y Riegger and Davies; Premiere: Lisner Auditorium, Washington, DC. Dancers include: Brook Andrews; John Bailey; Photo: Carole Drake; Michael Kasper; Liz Lerman; Quincy Northrup; Lynda Spikell; Betty Tittsworth; Emily Waddams; ; Bill Hollingsworth; Music: Davies / Riegger ; Premiere, Lisner Auditorium. (Some notes for the choreography are in MWDCCo files.)
1972 – Mass – A Fifth Generation Radiator Brought to Us on the Sabbath – A dance opera. Choreograph
y: Maida Withers; Original Music, performed live: John Driscoll; Dance Soloist, Sharron Beckenheimer (Rose); Premiere, Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre, Washington, DC;
1971 – Laser I (Duet) First laser collaboration of Maida Withers with Rockne Krebs; Laser pioneer artist internationally; Michael Killgore; Lynda Spikell (later Brook Andrews); Music: Harrison; Laser Installation – Rockne Krebs; Premiere: Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre
1971 – Take Off; Airport Radio Tower Sound Score; choreographed by Withers for six DC women dancers; Premiere, Lisner Auditorium, 
Washington, DC. Dancers: Carolyn Tate; Rosemary Wells, Shelley Chaffin, Susan Eidson; others.
l970 – Suite of Six: Ties That Bind, Here, There, Somewhere; Tic Tac Toe; Square in the Round, Balloons to you Too! Dancers: 1 man, 5 women; Music: Ramsey Lewis Trio / Badings / Gaburo / Dockstader / Partch; Premiere: Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre, Washington, DC.
1970 – Maneuvers – A political statement of mass movement and arrest. Yvonne Rainer, noted historic figure in establishing what became regarded as the “post modern” genre. Yvonne was the second GW Guest artist/faculty for the historic three-week GW summer dance workshops that Withers and Elizabeth Burtner initiated and, then, continued for 15 summers.
With Yvonne, the dance students created a work that was performed out of doors in a grassy area outside the fence and behind the White House, visible to people waiting in line to visit inside the White House. Students carried a sign from GW to the site of the public “guerilla” performance. The long white paper sign asked the question, “Why Are We in Vietnam?” These summer workshops introduced many ideas explored by the USA pioneers of “post modern” with notions of new dance and new performance. GW students were participants in the second of 15 summer workshops featuring new experimental dance workshops created and presented by Withers and offered at George Washington University.
1969 – Invisible Dance – Dancing in such a way that you would generally not be perceived as dancing. Maida and invited dancers.
1968-69 – Psy
chedelic Dance. Oil was mixed in water and food coloring in a clear glass bowl. Dancers wore white leotards and tights. An overheard projector was used to project the curious and interesting shapes created by the mix of water, food coloring, and oil. This dance was invited to be on Channel 4, NBC-TV. However when we arrived at the television station, the production staff insisted on manipulating the clear glass bowl holding the oil/water. Sadly, they did not have the skill of the practiced artist. The TV station refused to let us manipulate the projected images because dancers were NOT TV union members. The program went on with the stage hand manipulating the oil/water/color art work. Please locate and review interesting notes, on file, about violence in America, the Kennedy family, race, other.
1969 – 18 Hours of Invisible Dance with 15 minutes of Visible Dance ; 2 dancers; performance at the University of Maryland.
1969 – Malaise: A pervasive vulgarity: created with Withers for 2 men 4 women. Premiere: Music: Dixon; performance at Lisner 
Auditorium, Washington, DC (trio photo).
1968 – Media Message – Withers tribute to the genius writings of the author, Marshall McLuhan of Media Message. Withers work employed bizarre and exaggerated organs (i.e. a large cardboard mouth (lips) that moved up and out on hinges that was performed by two dancers, one on each end of the huge red lips that would open and close; a large ear that enveloped the dancers body; others – inspiration from Marshall McLuhan’s the Media is the Message. Projections on stage were created by Psychedelic Power and Light Company; Large puppet-like costumes/sets by Maida Withers (giant ear, movable mouth); Dancers: one man, four women; Premiere: Lisner Auditorium, Washington, DC (Jim Bunting; Julie Hart, others.)
1967 – Silence; Premiere: 1 man, 5 women; a political commentary on the common condition of freedom of expession for women; Lisner Auditorium, Washington, DC
1966 – Essays: Part I – Of the Mind; Part II – Of the Heart; Six women dancers; Premiere: Lisner Auditorium, Washington, DC Music: Foss / Lieberson; (Jim Bunting; Julie Hart; others);
1964 – Contemporary Dance Company of Washington, DC was founded by local professional dancers in the spring of 1964 to perform concerts, lecture demonstrations, and improvisations with local dancers, musicians. Dance artists included Kathy Mason, Sandra McLain, Naima Prevots and Maida Withers. Musicians included Joe Clark, Edward Cunningham, and Lyn G. McLain, musician/composer, husband of dancer, Sandra McLain. Our early work was improvisa
tion of both music and dance. Eventually the group included Jan Van Dyke, Carol Surman, Barbara Katz, Nancy Tartt and others. Maida created a dance titled, MOD with colleagues, that took a humorous, yet surrealistic look at fashion and the changing of models to move rather than pose.
Additional Photos:
Passage Nine
Julie Hart and Jim Bunting: Malaise.
Passage Nine: Carole Drake and Michael Kasper
Passage Nine: JoAnn Sellars and Carole Drake
Laser Dance men with Adam Peiperl’s sculptures
