Video: Pitfalls, MWDCCo – Maida Withers on camera in the wings

(1999) Brazil Tour July 11 – 31 :  Three dancers with MWDCCo perform choreography involving falling and not falling while stories about falling were told by audience members invited to come to the microphone and tell a personal  “falling story” during the performance.

(1999)July 12 – 17  The trio of dancers performing Pitfalls had it’s world premiere in the United Nation’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ouro Preto, Brazil during the 31st Festival de Inverno.   The Ouro Preto Theater, historic landmark, had a steeply raked stage, comparable to the Russian rake, that made falling down incredible dramatic BUT when falling up the incline, falling became a struggle and created an hilarious experience for dancers and the audience viewing.  In Brazil, of course, the stories were told in Portuguese.  For the most part, dancers were, consequently, not aware of what made the audience laugh.  About 30 people lined up to tell his/her story.  The audience laughter at the stories became such a dramatic part of the event for everyone onstage and in the audience.

Video above:  Maida Withers documented only the first half of the performance with a video camera in Ouro Preto from the stage wings since she was in a dance work following Pitfalls. That is the perspective shown in the film above. In addition to the formal performance in Ouro Preto, Sarah and Reggie improvised at night in the 2nd floor store windows on the main street, Bobadela Street (extremely steep hill) in this beautiful ancient mining (gold rush) town, Ouro Preto.

Following performances in Ouro Preto, Pitfalls was performed in Rio de Janeiro at Casa de Cultura – a beautiful, engaging center for the arts (see photos below).  Giselle Ruzany, dancer, and Jonathan Modell, percussionist, were on their honeymoon on our tour in Brazil. Jon Modell, composer/musician/, performed live during the tour in Mexico.  Giselle was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil so her presence was very important for the company but also impacted the dancers and musicians relationship to the presenters as well.

The idea for Pittfalls was the result of Maida rushing out the front door of her house in Arlington, Virginia without first tying her long shoe laces.  Leaving the house in a rush, as Maida slammed the door, she was plummeted to the cement porch with her nose to cement with her shoe laces still stuck in the door.  She slammed the door in her rush to get to work on time. Traumatic! No injuries!  BUT…delightful motivation for a humorous dance work and a pleasure for audiences to participate by telling personal stories in a “live” dance performance.

Nose to Cement was choreographed with/for a large group of dancers, students at George Washington University.  The large group choreography was more formal and, of course, less chaotic.  Very little choreography from the student performance  was included in the Pitfalls trio. For the trio, abrupt falling and dramatic recovery was the focus of the content.

Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre (solo – Dance Works by International Women)

Photos: Pitfalls – Nose to Cement, Stories Told on the Way Down
Sarah Slifer and Reggie Crump (Monstah Black)

Reginald Crump, Maida Withers, Giselle Ruzany, Sarah Slifer (sit)
Casa de Cultura – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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