1984 – Restaging choreography of 1976 version of Time Dance  for performance in Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre.  The square was adapted to a very large diamond rather than the original square space at Mt. Vernon HandChaple….and many other changes occurred.  John Driscoll created and performed Music for Miniature Objects and spoken text from Gertrude Stein’s “Geography and Plays – Sacred Emily” and Dick Higgins “FOEW+OMBWHNW – (Cowboy Plays)” for this version.  It was very popular with the challenging audience that always supported MWDCCo.

The choreography was very clear and obviously evolving into various sections.  Overall there was a sense of lightness and humor in the relationships of the dancers.  The choreography would form and then disintegrate (see the video).

Original Definition: Group performance based on structure of pulse and accumulation.  The pulse appeared in the movement or was heard as sound  The pulse appeared in the movement or as sound throughout the entire continuous performance.  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 accumlating to a total of 44.  The sequence must begin with 1, and then 1/2 and then 1/2/3 and so on.  You could stop/hold/arrest the movement on any given count, but  you must come in on the count (up to 44) that has moved forward either by the other dancers or just keeping the pulse.  There was a slow section and there was a “marking” section.  The goal for each dancer was to take advantage of the unexpected was to create choreography dropping in and out while changing locations on stage and making intentional, not just accidental, relationship to 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.

 
Brook Andrews, Maida Withers, Susan Jamieson
Brook Andrews

John Bailey

Choreography: Maida Withers and Company.  Each Company member created a solo and group accompaniment occurred differently for each solo performed.

Costumes by John Bailey:  Tie-dyed layers of costumes in shades of sky blue and water green.  Each dancer had a leotard (tie-dyed) 2 or three shades; cotton shorts and a T-shirt, long cotton tie pants, or a skirt (tie-dyed in two or three pastel shades.  Clothes were removed one piece at a time down during a section of the dance to the final section danced in tye-dyed leotards.  This was playful but very specific choreography and relationships in the group.

Visual elements:  In the opening segment there were light specials at each of the square corners and the circle of light was used as well.  At the end, bizarre red lights were used for chaos.

Time Dance Premiere: Hand Chapel, Washington, DC.  March 26, 27, 28, 1976

This video is the second performance  in Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre (1984)

The third performance was on the steps by the Lincoln Memorial looking down over the Potomac River during Rush Hour (see photos).