Bodies, brushes and beats in butoh combo

Butoh, an apocalyptic form of Japanese dance characterized by grotesqueries and angst-ridden movement, might be an acquired taste. But when performed well, this in-your-face art form, with its micro-steps, silent screams and contorted bodies, has the power to reveal untold mysteries. Such was the case on Friday when the solo performance dance series, “Flower of the Season,” opened at the Electric Lodge for two weekends.

Now in its third year, the series, produced by butoh master Oguri and wife Roxanne Steinberg, is a byproduct of Body Weather Laboratory, the couple’s workshops that foster collaboration among dancers, musicians, artists and writers.

In keeping with the project’s floral theme, Jesske Hume, clad in an oversized man’s suit and black hat, made use of a mini-canopy strewn with dried flowers in “So Long Red.” A slow-moving romp with rose petals, the dance featured Hume crouching and lunging before going herky-jerky while stripping down -- butoh burlesque -- to a red slip.

The spare sounds of Obakesan -- Arnie Saiki, Robert Scott, Roger Park, Jay Villaneuva and Joe Berardi on assorted percussion instruments, synthesizer, guitar, cello and bass -- provided deft accompaniment, with accents on Hume’s backbends and knee-knocking.

Magali Gajan became a live-action model in “The Art of the Spot,” as artist Marie Pierre Mallard created watercolors replicating Gajan’s contemporary movement vocabulary. Whether striking balancing poses, splaying legs or prancing prettily, Gajan became a force field for Mallard’s playful renderings. Again, Obakesan proved potent, particularly in accordion and guitar riffs.

Heyward Bracey, dusted in white powder and sporting only a muslin thong, rooted his powerful solo, “Dew,” in classical butoh. An alien creature, Bracey registered surprise, pain, joy and fear on his face as he repeatedly squatted and stood. Struggling against unseen terrors, a primeval Bracey sliced the air with his hands, his heroic efforts forging a strangely heartfelt universe.

Eric Losoya also endured a roller coaster of emotions in “Fruit of the Earth.” Wearing a Gap uniform of a crew-neck shirt and khaki pants, he sat beneath a pinata-like garbage bag. Pulling and clawing at it until it burst open, a fountain of horsetail plants rained upon him. Silently laughing, Losoya as scarecrow rolled around in the foliage, ecstasy turning to agony by solo’s end.

Though the dancers displayed original voices, Oguri’s reach and vision were long and strong. Part 2 of the program this weekend will feature Steinberg and different musicians performing with him.

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‘Flower of the Season’

Where: Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave.

When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday

Price: $12 to $15

Contact: (310) 823-0710