Inching along to an enigmatic finish

As a dance style, butoh is full of possibilities. You might be rewarded for following a slow, enigmatic process that seems to unwrap mysteries. It can also be an exercise in empty enigmas.

What took place Friday night at Venice’s Electric Lodge during “Gig/Earthbeat 2002,” an hourlong performance featuring two dancers and a guitarist, was a lot of stillness and some inching along to a rambling, atmospheric electronic score.

The audience sat in two lines opposite each other. In the center, Oguri and Jamie Burris lay in a line of stuffed forms. Eventually, they moved. Eventually, they crawled past each other like partly unconscious bodies, with hips and shoulders rising and sinking in slow motion.

At one end, G.E. Stinson stood amid black boxes, blinking lights and pedals, playing or tapping the strings of his guitar and manipulating machine noises. A pulse gave the static scene some intelligent life after 20 minutes or so. On his feet, Oguri played with stooping and wavering. Burris circled behind muslin, making shadows. Oguri ran back and forth at the end. By then, the audience’s expressions had become the most fascinating part.

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‘Gig/Earthbeat 2002’

Where: Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., Venice

When: Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 6 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.

Price: $12

Contact: (310) 306-1854