“I’ve always loved the amplitude of your dancing – so luscious and fierce, muscular and sexy. And then the time travel between ancient places and modern digitization…”  Marta Renzi, Filmmaker

“I returned to the land of my birth in Utah with a group of artists (Including Filmmaker James Byrne, NYC) for a five-week experiment of living and dancing on monumental land sites to create a dance film. For the next 7 years I returned to Utah and the Four-Corners area with filmmaker and friend, Verabel Cluff, to explore further my notions of humans and our relationship to these sacred lands and, further, to planet earth. Each day we understood better how to join with the forces of nature. I experienced the extraordinary physical and spiritual powers of this exotic place and its inhabitants, present and past, as we glimpsed our most inward selves. Slowly I began to make linkages between my concern with new art, my own culture, and these ancient sites and people. The connections involve the relationship of nature and culture and, more importantly, raise questions relating to the very meaning and function of art.” Maida Withers

“My works, especially those created from “site” locations are deep collaborations  and interdisciplinary processes involving dancers, visual artists, computer artists, performance art, scientists, poets, and others who join in the discovery of what is possible.”  (Maida Withers)

Tukuhnikivatz (Ute: Tukuhni-kivatz) is a name given by the Ute Nation to a perfectly triangular mountain in southeastern Utah, a future gathering place of the ancients at end time..

Tukuhnikivatz – Film (39:58)

Reedited as a film from the original film installation created for projection on the 60′ x 60′ Band Shell as part of Withers evening-length multimedia production Utah * Spirit Place * Spirit Planet * Tukuhnikivatz at Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors GREAT DANCE in the BANDSHELL  .
Original:  (https://vimeo.com/8077130 (1:03:45)
Short Fim: (https://vimeo.com/468693246 (39:58)

Tukuhnikivatz (39:58) is a shortened version of the  original film projection ceated for submitting to film festivals.The original evening-length Tukuhnikivatz has been edited and shortened in various formats for submission to film festivals under the names TUK I and TUK II.and TUK (Tukuhnikivatz).

Dancers were filmed on location at Muley Point and Butler Wash, Canyonlands, Arches, Utah and other locations in the Four Corners Area of the Southwest by James Byrne. USA earth slides are by noted earth photographer Bruce Hucko, Moab, Utah. Other images were provided by the US government.

Maida’s family was involved in early activities in Eastern and Southern Utah and Northern Arizona in ways that might now be referred to as environmental tourism (Rust Delux Tours, David Rust) and William and Sarah Rust builders of the Kaibab Lodge (also known as VT Ranch) 18 miles from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  A Lodge still operating in 2026.

Maida Withers presented Tukuhnikivatz (39:58) in Sao Paulo Brazil as part of Artesaos do Corpo annual international  public presentations under the direction of Mirtes Calheiros and Ederson Lopez. See below for responses.

Other Tukuhnikivatz Film EDITS:  
Trailer:  https://vimeo.com/127958 (12:46) 
Https://vimeo.com/127958843 (51:00)
https://vimeo.com/464010414 (12:46)
https://vimeo.com/31371574 (18:04)
https://vimeo.com/8077130 (Film Installation, live performance  (01:03:45)

Tukuhnikivatz (1996)
La Sal Mountain Range, Utah
Concept, director, dancer: Maida Withers
Video: James Byrne and Verabel Call Cluff
Dancers: Timothy Harling, Cristy Lamb, Emily Ojala, Maida Withers; Will Goins Moreau (dancer and Cherokee vocals)
Composer: Brent Michael Davids, Mohican Nation
Musicians:  Blue Butterfly Group, Brent Michael Davids (Mohican Nation), flutes and percussion; Will Goins Moreau (Cherokee), vocals and drum; Dasha Hlavenka, violin and percussion; Joe Myers, acoustic and electric guitars
Photographer: Bruce Hucko
Editors: Stefani Altomare-Sese, Jamille Wallick, Maida Withers
Guide: Joe Pachak
Sponsors:  Sunny and Hardy Redd, LaSal Ranch; GW TV; KUED TV; At the Canyon’s Edge; Canyonlands Field Institute; Forest Service; US Department of Interior.

Sources
https://maidadance.com/works/Tukuhnikivatz/
https://vimeo.com/8077130  (1:03:45)
https://vimeo.com/468693246  (39:58)
https://vimeo.com/31371574  (18:04)

Concert Work and Film Installation:

Concept / Director / Choreographer: Maida Withers
Music Director: Brent Michael Davids, Mohican Nation
Earth Photographs: Bruce Hucko
Kinetic Light Sculptor: Adam Peiperl
Camera: James Byrne and Verabel Call Cluff
Editor: Jamille Wallick, MRW; Original Editor -Stefani Altomare-Sese
Production of Maida Withers Dance Construction Company
Dancers: Will Moreau Goins, Timothy Harling, Cristy Lamb, Emily Ojala, Maida Withers
Musicians: Brent Michael Davids, Mohican Nation, Crystal Quartz Flute; Melissa Angel, Double Bass; Will Moreau Goins, Vocalist; Dasha Hlavenka, Violin; Joe Myers, Classical Guitar.

Supported, in part, by Sunny and Hardy Redd, GW Television, Joe Pachak, Bruce Hucko, Tony Anderson, Craig Law, Cristy Powell, Becky Knoff, Maida and Arlen Withers, DCCo Board of Directors, Nancy Tartt, Paul Caffrey, Yordanos Baharu, KUED Television, At the Canyon’s Edge, Canyonlands Field Institute, NASA, USDA forest Service, US Department of Interior.

Brent Michael Davids / Music

Bruce Hucko / Photography         Will Goins Moreau, Singer/                                                                       Dancer

Adam Peiperl’s Kaleidoscope images by permission of Prime Lens Productions Inc. from the video of Barbara Mitchell’sSpectrasphere

Maida Withers
Copyright (c) 2020
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

VIEWER COMMENTS:
Premiere for Visoes Urbanas, Sao Paulo, Brazil and comments from viewers who viewed the film on youtube.

“What an astonishing video.  There were moments when the shadows of the dancers on the canyon wall felt like watching the ancients in real time.  How stunning the symbology was.  Thanks so much for sharing it with us.  I’m always amazed at your work.  Keep it coming.”  John Driscoll, Composer, Inventor, Sculptor

“Timeless work, Maida.  It really brought back memories. Thank you.” Martha Peiperl (Adam Peiperls wife). (marthapeiperl@gmail.com)

Dear Maida, “I just finished watching TUKUHNIKIVATZ. Brilliant! Wonderful. Thank you!
I am always amazed at the scale and breadth of your work and how it resonates. It frustrates me that I have never seen any of it LIVE. Looking forward to talking about it all and everything else.  Will also watch the new Vimeo. Let’s make a talk date. Love, Jacki Apple (jaworks1211@gmail.com) https://www.jackiapple.com/index.html  310-836-2771 h 310-621-2771 m
https://fabrikmagazine.com/peripheral-visions/

Maida,  Just watched this stunning piece – so important to reach to the source in the times we are now living. Covid is a call to wake up to the circumstances we have designed into being and to quit rehearsing the negative. May we all arrive in the learning field.  xDody  (Movement specialist in LeCoq Training at Shakespeare ACA, GW; Director, Friend). Dody DiSanto dodydisanto@gmail.com

10/26/20 “Maida,  I was able to watch the “Tuk” film last night–Thanks. I was wondering when most of the dance footage, filmed in S. Utah, was actually filmed? Anyway, much of it was quite beautiful.  I remember particularly the footage of you in profile, positioned in contours of the natural rock formations.  Those images by themselves would make stunning ‘poster’ pictures.  My mind focused on those primitive ‘native art’ images found on some of the rock facings and the relationship of those images to the dancing in silhouette and shadow dancing when it would become very ‘sticklike.’ An interesting closure might be to slow the dancing shadows to a complete ‘stop’ and then transition (i.e. ‘crossfade’) back to those primitive ‘native art’ images which were introduced early on in the film…Thanks again for the work and sharing it with a broader audience.  Best,    wd  P.S.  there was a blue-green line of added light as an overlay to the lower portion  of some of the nature/natural footage in the latter part of the film that, in my humble opinion, had no business being there—w_demull@yahoo.com (Lighting Designer for MWDCCo for many years).

Dear Maida, The performance yesterday online was beautiful and transformational. The film was breathtaking, and I was especially taken by the silhouettes as hieroglyphs, and the eagle blended with you. I can’t believe that you grew up in a landscape like this. The YouTube transmission was perfect. (Afterward, I was able to see the chat for just five minutes because of my own errors with a new iMac.)  I often think of your transplanted Russian family during these crazy times in the U.S., and I especially hope that your 10 year old grandson is long over his high fever. Can’t wait to see your student performances Dec. 1-3; I would love to be able to watch. If you’re ever on campus and I can visit, please let me know. I’m always up for taking a walk or standing/sitting outside. I am guessing that the moldy Building J is totally off limits.  Love,  Liz Harter (liz.harter@gmail.com) (Top Librarian, GW Gelman; Friend of Dance and Contributor).

“Hi Maida,  thank you so much for sharing this! i loved watching this beautiful film, congratulations.   it continues to be such a strange and scary time to be here on earth, but i continue to be grateful for the technologies that allow us to continue to create and share our work. i wanted to share with you a dance & music film that i made in montana in august: it is a modular 2-part performance, and we encourage folks to view the two videos simultaneously (in two browser windows), or one may choose to toggle between them or view them sequentially. if you are interested in watching, the links are below. i hope you are well otherwise! how is everything at gw this fall? with love, Lydia Mokdessi (GW Dance Alum; NY Dance Artist; Graduate School in Interdisciplinary Art for future).  lydiamokdessi@gmail.com)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH_TYnIrEUI&list=PL05msXvP8-

“Hi Maida  Yes, we’re all well, thanks. Fiasco is right – I almost don’t dare hope some relief is in sight, post-election. I’m so pleased that you continue to keep me on your list. I couldn’t make the event yesterday, but I just watched the film.  First, I’ve always loved the amplitude of your dancing – so luscious and fierce, muscular and sexy. And then the time travel between ancient places and modern digitization. Sorry I couldn’t hear the conversation – was it recorded? – although waiting for translations on Zoom must be an added frustration.  I’m keeping busy – partly because my filmmaking skills are useful in this era when live dance is rarely presented. 3 projects since April – see below, in the order they were made, but no obligation to watch.  And  TWO NUTCRACKERS IN NOVEMBER, God save me.
Dancing is an Old Friend  https://vimeo.com/421004737/494b21e7a6
Out of Ruin https://vimeo.com/462163193/7501f6845c
A Different Day https://vimeo.com/467559385/1f674b8647
You retire? Never.Please.xx  marta.renzi@gmail.com
Marta Renzi, Recognized Filmmaker; Dancer

 文慧作品–和三奶奶跳舞56届威尼斯双年展英文版MP4.mp4

Dear Maida How are you? miss you so much.  I hope you are safe and healthy! wonderful to hear from you, thank you for Share your work with me, You did very great work, You are my hero! ! ! ! ! I saw your interview on VIMEO, you are so wisdom and beautiful, I like your red lipstick! ! ! !  I would like share one of  my flim with you call dancing with the third grandma.  many love from wen hui
于2020年10月25日周日 上午8:34写道：Brilliant dancer and choreographer in Beijing, China.  (wenhuidance2@gmail.com)

“Thanks so much for this, Maida.  I watched the live stream.  It was simply beautiful.”  Maury Peiperl (Professor, Economist, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA; Son of Adam Peiperl, Collaborator).

COMMENTS FROM VIEWERS WHO STAYED FOR THE “CHAT”

For discussion of Tukuhnikivatz premiere presentation in Sao Paulo Brazil visit:  https://youtu.be/vywdsBCnRII/

Dear Maida.   How much joy, emotion and learning in these two days together.  May we be closer and closer. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and conversations. We continue until the 1st day with the festival and know that your incentive was fundamental to make this edition online. A big hug. Ederson Producer: Visoes Urbanas.  ederson@ciaartesaosdocorpo.art.br

“Maida: What an astonishing video. There were moments when the shadows of the dancers on the canyon wall felt like watching the ancients in real time. How stunning the symbology was. Thanks so much for sharing it with us. I’m always amazed with your work. Keep it coming!   John Driscoll (jdshadow@gmail.com)  Also:  Hello Tania. Maida mentioned you are in LA. Is that correct?  We are up in Los Gatos outside of San Jose awaiting the birth of our first grandson. Let me know what phone number you are using and perhaps we can set up a call or zoom.  Best regards John

Hello!!  Maida, I loved spending that time together, and just entirely mesmerized with the work that you shared!!!! I loved hearing some of  the stories behind it, and what a gift to have some of your other collaborators there for the conversation and sharing.  I admire you, and feel very very fortunate to have crossed dancing paths with you in this life.  Big beijos from Brasil Dawn  (Dancer with Ederson and Mirtes; Canadian/Brazilian, Translator extraordinary). (dawnfleming@expertize.com)

 COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE BEFORE THE FILM SHOWING

“Thank you so much for the links and info about your film. I am going to put it on my calendar for tomorrow at 11AM LA time.  Early for me to watch something on  computer screen, but important to see. I am very interested in the subject and excited to see what you have done. I am going to pass the info on to a couple of people  — Meredith Monk and Bonnie Marranca in particular. Also thanks for the Vimeo link so I can go back and watch it again if I need to take notes. And much success with the film. Amazing you could do this in the middle of COVID. Us “old ladies” continue to hang in there. We are tough and don’t give up.  This has been a terrible year in such dark times. Let’s hope the madness will begin to be over in another ten days and the long process of recovery will be able to begin. Of course the virus isn’t going away anytime soon, and I expect to be stuck here in the house for another six months. As a high risk person I have to be extra careful so I don’t get to go anywhere and only see a very small select group of people that includes my immediate neighbors.”   Jacki Apple (writer/critic. LA, California) 10/24/2020

” We where in NY until the summer and I did a SayTheirNames street project ( you can see it at the Instagram and website). Then I came to greeece and I isolate in Mýkonos Now I’m in Thessaloníki for a show Life is strange because we avoid the direct company and I don’t now today how the opening will be I did not see my Galleriste she had an operation.  Lydia Venieri (visual artist, NYC, Mykonos, Greece  Venieri@me.com
Hello Maida. I don’t know why I didn’t receive your e-mail with the title Sunday. Sorry about that. I can’t organize with the programmers of the Cultural Workshops the opening of the room earlier.  Could we meet at 3:20 ?  We would have 20 minutes to organize microphones, screens, etc.  We initially thought of 30 minutes of conversation. Talk about your trajectory, about the creation exhibited at the festival, about the pandemic-political issue. About the subject of the conversation is  very free. You can talk about any topic you want. If there is space and people interested we can open for questions.Dawn will do the translation.See you soon. Ederson / Brazil Visoes Urbanas Festival Producing Director

“HI Maida! Thanks for writing. So sorry I missed the first event (Rainforest Awakens), these are hectic times trying to balance the lockdown with the kids at home, plus work and everything else. I’ll try to get online for the Brazil event, but just in case I really appreciate you sending me the link to vimeo.,It’s really nice seeing you so active, hope to be able to work together sometime soon.Best!  LuMaría Luján Oulton; Directora de Game on! El arte en juego  Cofundadora del Encuentro Latinoamericano de videojuegos; Cofundadora de wowlat; Women in Games Argentina

Dear Maida, Thanks for saying that. Yes, your performance, classes, and time with your company was a highlight for me, too. I can only imagine that TUKUHNIKIVATZ at Lincoln Center. I agree that we are in denial about climate change, but fires, hurricanes, and floods are affecting enough people that denial is beginning to wane. I’ll definitely check out the Tukuhnikivatz link! Stay safe and well, Artemis Preeshil  (Theatre and Dance Professor; Scholar who sponsored Utah Project at Utah State in 1990s).