“As solar rays eclipse a desert turret, birds of prey, wings outstretched in flight, emerge in silhouette against a rocky ledge. These, however are not natural canyon country sky dwellers. They are members of Maida Withers Dance Construction Company creating new dimensions in environmental expression. In some instances, the dancers perform on cliffs 1,000 feet in the air.”   

                                                  TUK (Tukuhnikivatz)
                 Sample film project created from the Utah earth project

Maida Withers @ Bears Ears  Bruce Hucko, Photographer

“In 1988, I returned to the land of my birth in Utah with a group of artists for a five-week experiment of living and dancing on selected land sites to create a dance video.  Each day we understood better how to join with the forces of nature.  We experienced the extraordinary physical and spiritual powers of this place and its inhabitants, and 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, 1990

1988 – 1996 Maida Withers,  choreographer and dancer, born and raised in southern (Kanab) and central (Salem) Utah, returned to the land of her birth in Utah several times during an eight-year period, 1988 thru 1996, to study and remember the Earth and reengage with ideas both ancient and new.  This period was important to her knowledge for the many Earth Works that she conceived of, created, and performed in the USA, China, Korea, France, Brazil, Venezuela, others. The Utah Project featured several two to six week residencies in the Four Corners Area  – Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado.

Maida’s companion and principal collaborator for these research adventures was Verabel Call Cluff, filmmaker, also born in Utah. Joe Pachak, visionary guide and specialist, White Mesa Institute in Southern Utah, was instrumental in the selection of four specific locations for research and filming for Withers project.  Bruce Hucko, renowned earth photographer and author, supported the stage and film projects with contributions of extraordinary photographs.  Sunny and Hardy Redd,  La Sal Ranch, Grand County Utah,  provided their winter home in Monticello, Utah, van, food in the large freezer, ideas, that made a six-week film residency for 10 artists from the East possible.

Participants in the residency, besides Maida Withers and Verabel Cluff,  included dancers from Maine, Arizona, New York City, Oklahoma, Virginia, a filmmaker from New York City, and a photographer from Moab, Utah.  The team was not, generally speaking, acquainted with such daring physical challenges.

The many residencies of the Utah Project were daring in so many ways.  With the exception of the one summer group residency, Withers was dancing solo in many varied and unusual places during the other years. The artists always took many risk by dancing and performing on and at  diverse and demanding earth sites. So much to learn about light and dark and heat and desert animal life.  Generally Withers and Cluff when traveling together, lived out of doors on the Earth without a tent or other protection….often staying in small town motels or with relatives. We were able to attend social events and celebrations on the reservation at that time.  We had many beautiful and joyful experiences.

“We rose with the Sun and laughed with the stars.” (Withers) The Utah Project produced many films and many stage projects (see below).

Utah * Spirit Place * Spirit Planet * Tukuhnikivatz, an epoch work on ancient and contemporary earth consciousness, was formally commissioned by  Lincoln Center in 1996 for performance at Lincoln Center Out of Doors, GREAT DANCE in the BandShell Series, Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center, New York City, NY attended by 2500 people.  This astonishing work featured a  spectacular film projected on large butte shaped structures that were moved in performance creating an unusual live environment on stage.  The 60′ bandshell received breath taking earth photos by the famous Bruce Hucko.

Utah * Spirit Place * Spirit Planet * Tukuhnikivatz

Withers and members of Maida Withers Dance Construction Company participated in activities as part of the Brazilian Omami Projecto with 100 Artists for Ecology from  around the globe attending Eco ’92. Maida Withers and the Dance Construction Company presented a beautiful evening-length Dance for the Earth concert, the Opening Ceremony of Omame Projecto in Brasilia, Brazil at the spectacular National Theatre, May 12, 1992.

TUK films have been shown in festivals in India, Turkey, Australia, France, Brazil, Virginia, and Utah.  TUK I was the recipient of the John Muir Award for Outstanding Filmmaking (2009) at the Yosemite International Film Festival, Yosemite, California, others.

Maida Withers, Artistic Director/Founder, Maida Withers Dance Construction Company and Professor, George Washington University, Corcoran School of the Arts and Design conceived the the six-year project on the EARTH.  The works below are all available at this site using https://maidadance.com/works/ (add  a title below).

Works for stage and film based on these residencies included the following works:
In Winds of Sand
Sands Cycles (Film)
Utah * Spirit Place * Spirit Planet * Tukuhnikivatz
TUK (Tukuhnikivatz) (Film)
Tukuhnikivatz (Film 40:00)
TUK (Film Short)
TUK I (Film Short)
TUK (Performance Installation for Utah * Spirit Place *Spirit Planet)
Ledge (Moving Earth / Dunes; Mountain Birthing; Path / Migration)
Spirit Path / Migration / Remains)
Still Rush
Earth Spirit Rising
She Was a Visitor
Dance for the Earth:
Sky Cloud
Prologue –  How the West Was Won (Cowboys and Indians Play)
Transformation – Rolling Thunder
Shaman solos by Maida Withers
Others

Maida Withers @ Coral Dunes, Utah     \
Verabel Call Cluff, Photograph

Bruce Hucko, Earth Photographer

Crissy Lamb, AZ, and Tim Harling, NYC, Dance Collaborators
@ Muley Point, Utah
Bruce Hucko, Photograph

What the press is saying

"As solar rays eclipse a desert turret, birds of prey, wings outstretched in flight, emerge in silhouette against a rocky ledge. These, however are not natural canyon country sky dwellers. They are members of Maida Withers Dance Constrution Company creating new dimensions in environmental expression. In some instances, the dancers perform on cliffs 1,000 feet in the air. The company is at work in San Juan Country producing two projects: an experimental dance video for television broadcast and background footage for a stage presentation to premiere in Washington DC. During their five-week stay in San Juan the dance troupe - chosen for their outdoor experience and interest in the project - have hiked, camped, rehearsed, and performed on location. Several sites in the county were selected for natural props. Arches, cliffs, alcoves, monuments and aspect groves became implements in an interpretive portrayal of the environment and the cultural aspects inherent in the landscape. San Juan county was chosen for the project because of its primitive nature. Withers, a native of Southern Utah, says she feels, "There is a basic national ignorance about Utah." She wants to expose the "tremendous amount of artistic wealth in the area." Along with that, her desire is to capture the cultural essence of the region. She says, we feel a connetion with the history of the area. I think there is a very powerful spiritual thing in this land. When one finds holes carved out where people have lived or wagon tracks worn in the rocks, there's a sense of physical struggle...a feeling of participation in something bigger than self." Hardy and Sunny Redd of Monticello opened their home to the dancers for use as a base camp. Dr. Kay Shumway of the College of Eastern Utah San Juan Center helped establish the dancers into the area. Joe Pachak of the White Mesa Institute provided assistance with site location and background information. San Juan School district allowed the use of Mexican Hat Elementary to recharge equipment. The LDS churches in Blanding and Monticello were utilized for rehearsals and local merchants willingly acquired special foods for the dancers vegetarian diets. Withers stated tha the non cash donations, the generosity, enthusiasm and trust of the people in the area helped make the project possible. " Jody Bailey

Earth Dancer