Janet Eilber Subtly Widens Graham Vocabulary

Janet Eilber comes to the Martha Graham vocabulary with the greatest authenticity, having been a leading dancer for Graham in the ‘70s. Not surprisingly, Eilber’s two solos seen Friday in Thorne Hall at Occidental College mirrored that influence without demeaning or trivializing it. If anything, she extended it in a style of colloquial intimacy.

Speaking and interpreting E.E. Cummings’ “anyone lived in a pretty how town,” Eilber traced the poignant if somewhat obscure ode to childhood and lost innocence through telling shapes and gestures, all expressed with the immaculately clean, controlled and communicative technique expected of a Graham principal. It was heartening to see new uses of some of the Graham vocabulary.

The appealing Americana chamber score was written by composer-guitarist Allen Krantz, who also composed the lean-textured music for the less successful Eilber solo “Advice to the Players.”

Again reciting and reflecting a text--this time a poem by William Carlos Williams--Eilber here didn’t quite bring off the same synthesis. The sparse movement vocabulary provided only a few memorable or striking images. It did not fill the space or the time. Moreover, her sardonic tone, though justified in the text, sounded more annoying than engaging.

The scores were played by Krantz and members of the Occidental-Caltech Symphony, led by Robert Gross.

Gross also conducted the single concert piece on the program--Enrique Gonzalez Medina’s “Siete Poeminimos,” after poet Efrain Huerta. Soprano Gretchen Johnson skillfully sang the witty minimal texts set to an academic mix of serial and popular music styles.

This was the American premiere of the version for full orchestra. The composer, who was in the audience, took bows and presented a bouquet to Johnson.

Before the dances started, people walking into the auditorium were surprised by audience members already there singing tones of welcome as directed in ‘The Greeting Meditation” from Pauline Oliveros’ “Sonic Meditations.” It was a lovely way to open the program.