Martha Graham Dance Company, February 25, 2005, Jones Hall

[3-19-05] I'm finally going to admit defeat on finishing this and just post what I have! If I had to pick one word to describe both Martha Graham and her style, it would be "powerful." If I had to pick one word that did NOT describe Martha Graham's work, it would be "fluffy." Friday's performance of the Martha Graham Dance Company showcased four powerful, unfluffy works from the first half of Martha Graham's career. The show opened with Diversion of Angels (1948), the lightest piece on the program. Set to music by Norman Dello Joio, this piece was danced by three couples plus 5 supporting dancers. The women's costumes were skirted in an unusual manner, with the material at the front of the skirt curling around the inner thighs as though following the edge of a leotard, allowing the full line of the leg to be seen from the front. Katherine Crockety was elegant as the woman in white, Virginee Mecene brought a playful spirit as the woman in red, and Yuko Suzuki was mischievous as the woman in yellow. These women all had male partners listed in the program, but I found it difficult to keep the partners distinct from the supporting dancers since they all wore the same beige costumes. The dance was as close to carefree as Graham dances get. One moment that struck me was when the woman in white started a movement from a pose by simply flexing her foot; that movement put by itself was enough to draw the eye downward, and it was beautiful in its simplicity. Next on the program was Errand into the Maze (1947). Alessandra Prosperi was strong and determined as she journeyed "into the maze of the heart's darkness in order to face and do battle with the Creature of Fear." This is a difficult piece to get into, as the music is somewhat abstract, but it's worth the journey. Kudos to Christoff Jeannot (the Creature of Fear) for not only dancing well with his arms held up by a staff, but lifting Ms. Prosperi without making me fear for the integrity of his bones. Embattled Garden (1958) is a piece for two men and two women set in the Garden of Eden. The roles are Adam, Eve, Adam's legendary "first wife" Lilith, and The Stranger. The set, which consists of a tree-like structure and a low platform with a smattering of long, flexible stakes, reminded me of the works of Joan Miro, and the costumes had a similar Spanish flavor. There was some amazing partnering work in this piece; at one point my head actually went sideways watching one of the women do an assisted hinge. The final piece on the program was Sketches from CHRONICLE.