This Space Occupied – 4th Int’l Improv Festival

This Space Occupied – 4th Int’l Improv Festival

https://vimeo.com/519137167/  

Dance and music performance throughout the Corcoran Gallery of Art

(1998) December 3   7:00 to 9:00 pm  This Space Occupied, an evening-length site performance throughout the  prestigious Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, that features dancers and musicians from DC, New York City, California, England, France, Germany, Poland, and South Africa. This Space Occupied was the opening evening-length public event of the DC 4th International Improvisation Plus+ Festival, an annual festival  founded by Maida Withers and curated by founder, Maida Withers with Cyrus Khambatta – dance improvisation, and  James Levy – jazz music.

THIS SPACE OCCUPIED carries a physical recognition that dance and music were occupants of a Gallery of Art responsive to the architecture, the people, and the political intention to freely “occupy” a space during complex political time.  Years later, Maida Withers, occupied the contained glass  space above the front entrance of the Corcoran in sympathy with the protesters/humans who were fighting the governments attempt to remove them from living/occupying a public park in the center of DC on K Street (about 5 blocks from Withers solo perform at the Corcoran.  She This Space Occupied (by Maida) https://maidadance.com/works/this space occupied by Maida/

This Space Occupied – 4th Int’l Improvisation Plus+ Festival was presented in association with Corcoran Gallery of Art and with the support of George Washington University, Department of Dance and Theatre and  Department of Music. The Festival received generous support for international dance artist participants through Embassies of England, France, Poland, and the Goethe Institute in Washington, DC.

What the press is saying

Thank you, thank you. This space Occupied at the Corcoran last night was one of the most happy and successful collaborations of this sort I have experienced. Special applause to Jim and Tish as well for orchestrating their contributions and colleagues, and then, most of all my hat is off to the other dancers. I particularly enjoyed the opportunity to meet them, watch them interact as they surveyed the spaces, the art, etc., and then experience the actual performance. Wow! When it is good...it is good. Susan Badder, Corcoran Curator of Education

More than 600 other people thought it was a pretty special and wonderful moment as well. On top of that, it turned out to be pretty easy to do - from our point of view. Dealing with professionals does make a difference. I hope Saturday is a smash, and look forward to some future adventure. Susan Badder, Corcoran Curator