My family and I recently spent the evening viewing African animals, glaciers, icebergs, and choreography by Professor of Dance Maida Withers. In the Washington, D.C. premiere of Farewell, the End of the World as We Know It OR Dancing Your Way to Paradise, Withers dramatically performed a multi-media piece that reflected  her ongoing interests in ecology and the environment.

Conceived, choreographed, and performed by Withers, the piece was illustrated by visually delightful images from across the globe that flashed behind her as she danced. I was intrigued by the international influences and fascinated by the resulting composition.  With other members of the Maida Withers Dance Construction Company, Withers has performed sections of this project in New York and Salt Lake City as well as abroad in Nairobi, Kenya, and Rio de Janerio.

If you’re on campus this weekend, be sure to catch Fall Danceworks, which will feature choreography by faculty, including Withers, and students.  Performances will continue November 19, and 20 at the Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre.