(1984) or 1970 ?  June 14  – Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre.

Concept/Director:  Maida Withers
Choreography:  Maida Withers and Dance Construction Company
Concept/Intention:  group performance based on structure – pulse and accumulation
Sound / poetry: John Driscoll – Music for Miniature Objects and spoken text from Gertrude Stein’s “Sacred Emily” and Dick Higgins Geography Plays, and “FOEW+OMBWHNW” (Cowboy Plays).

Dorothy Betts Marvin Theater: (LOCATE  SCRIPT FOR 44’s – that will change this page)
The opening:  each dancer  enters in sequence snapping her/his fingers to the pulse and walking a strong formal dance walk in a large “diamond”  formation on the stage, stepping off the imaginary line and improvising creating personal iconic phrases and returning to the line….

the pulse. The very large stage at Marvin Center  was adapted to a very large diamond that demanded dancers increase their rigor stepping off the imaginary line and improvising/creating personal phrases.

The pulse (audio)was persistent in the music/audio and was amplified in the opening by the dancers persistent walk and finger snap in the formation of a large diamond.  The pulse appeared in the movement or as sound throughout the entire continuous performance creating a hypnotic character.

Each dancer created a solo which at some point included the entire company joining in with choreography related to the solo. The solos were very personal in style and demanding in performance.  Each solo developed a “corps” segment of involvement with Company dancers.

The final section titled, 44’s, was physically and mentally a great challenge for all dancers.  This section represented an accumulation of 8 count phrases contributed by each dancer accumulating to a total of 44 counts.  The sequence must began with movement 1, and then repeat #1 and add movement 2 and then repeat 1 and 2 and add movement 3 and so on.  Dancers could stop/hold/arrest the movement on any given count, but must come in on the exact movement  for the (count) up to 44.  On occasion everyone would stop but the count goes on. In the middle of the 44s, there was a slow section where everyone extended each movement staying in unison. Following “slow,” there was a “marking” section, dancers reviewing the movement in their mind, but very small reference marking each movement of the body. Suddenly the dancers continued with the demanding accumulation of the 44s. The goal for each dancer was to take advantage of the unexpected, to create relationships in the choreography dropping in and out while changing locations on stage and making intentional, not just accidental, relationship to other dancers.  At times, all dancers would stop but the specific counting would go on and all had to recognize at all times what was next in the choreography on the appropriate count. Performing a very demanding structure can be an exciting and disciplined challenge for the dance artist.

 
Brook Andrews, Maida Withers, Susan Jamieson
Brook Andrews, solo

Maida Withers, solo

John Bailey, solo

Costumes by John Bailey:
Tie-dyed layers of costumes in shades of sky blue and water green.  Each dancer has a leotard (tie-dyed 2 or three pastel shades), cotton shorts and T-shirt, long cotton tie pants or a skirt tie-dyed in pastel shades blue, green and white.  Clothes were removed one piece at a time (on stage and deposited in a pile upstage) during a section of the dance  until the final section was danced in the simple tie-dyed leotards.  Time Dance was somewhat playful, but very demanding with specific choreography and relationships in the group.

Visual elements:  In the opening segment light specials appeared at each of the square corners to emphasize the pathway dancers were taking on stage. Costumes were removed on stage and dropped in a pile in the upstage corner light.  At the end of Time Dance, bizarre red lights were used to create chaos.

Time Dance Performances – Washington, DC
* Hand Chapel, March 26, 27, 28, 1976
* Dorothy Betts Marvin Theater,  June 15, 1984 (review date)
* Steps behind Lincoln Memorial, October 12, 1977