| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| HTA ID | HTA-0365 |
| Title | Air Pollution — Tribute to Pollution |
| Date | Summer ~1977–1979 |
| Date Confidence | Moderate (WTOP era; summer air quality story; Dance Exchange active from 1976) |
| Program | Eyewitness News |
| Station | WTOP-TV Channel 9, Washington DC |
| Duration | ~3 minutes |
| Format | Feature / Weekend Wrap hybrid |
Henry presents a tongue-in-cheek "tribute to air pollution" as Washington's most significant summer resource. The Dance Exchange, a non-profit dance studio, performed an informally choreographed work called "Tribute to Pollution" at their mid-semester student recital in Farragut Square during the noontime lunch crowd. The dancers portray the effects of smog through "considerable coughing and collapsing." The piece's choreographer explains they created it because pollution made it impossible to dance normally in July. Henry closes by performing "a little ditty" called "Air and No Hideaway" — a musical parody.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| People | Dance Exchange choreographer (unnamed woman) |
| Organizations | The Dance Exchange (non-profit dance studio); WTOP-TV |
| Locations | Farragut Square, Washington DC |
| Subjects | Air pollution, modern dance, public performance art, summer in DC |
| Themes | Humor as coping mechanism, art responding to environment, urban life |
| Visual Elements | Outdoor dance performance, Farragut Square lunch crowd, Henry performing song |
"Boy, there sure isn't much to celebrate here in Washington these days... But there is one unique attribute that Washington has that we can really celebrate. And that unique attribute is air pollution."
"We found that if we tried, we just confronted the whole situation of pollution, did a dance about it, it was much easier for us."
"So I've put together a little ditty to enhance the entertainment. It's called Air and No Hideaway."
Significance: A quintessential Henry piece — taking a mundane civic complaint (summer smog) and turning it into an absurdist celebration. The Dance Exchange, founded by Liz Lerman in 1976, went on to become a nationally recognized modern dance company (now Liz Lerman Dance Exchange). This may be one of their earliest media appearances.
Writing Quality: Strong comic voice. The opening monologue builds the absurdist premise perfectly, and the musical closer ("Air and No Hideaway" — a pun on "Hair" and "Ain't No Hideaway"?) shows Henry's willingness to perform.
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Theme | Summer in DC — seasonal feature |
| Format | Musical performance closer — see also other pieces where Henry sings/performs |
| Organization | Dance Exchange — early documentation of what became a major modern dance company |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Source File | AIR POLLUTION.txt |
| Alternate Files | None identified |
| Source Location | /transcript macwhisper/ (root folder) |
| Transcription Quality | Good |
| Repository Status | Preserved in Source Repository |
The Dance Exchange was founded by Liz Lerman in 1976 in Washington DC. If this is indeed a Dance Exchange piece, it dates no earlier than summer 1977. The reference to performing in Farragut Square during lunch hour suggests a guerrilla/public art sensibility consistent with the company's early mission.