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BY A. NISSEN
The Martha Graham Dancers came
to the Power Center Monday night with
only one purpose apparently in mind -
to give an excellent performance.
The program opened with Seraphic
Dialogue, a standard company number
which is still as powerful as when it was
presented here in 1975. Like so many
Graham numbers, it focuses on
womanhood and revives an historic
theme. Graham has said, "The past is
not dead; it is'not even past."
JANET EILBER, in a long, full,
symbolically red dress, dances the part
of Joan with necessary passion and
Martha Graham Dance Cotppany
Po wer Center
Seraphic Dialogue
Equatorial
Errand into the Maze
Diversion of Angels
Martha Graham, choreorraphy; Martha
Graham and Marisol, costumes;
Marisol and Umato Noguchi, sets
golden (
struction and gaudy sequins on the
Graham-designed costumes detract
from the nobility and profoundness of
this piece.
Equatorial is an allegory of the
struggle between man and woman for
supremacy. As the title of the dance
suggests, Graham's resolution
recognizes the equality of the sexes.
Equatorial's universal theme is
dramatized by the universal bodies of
the sun and moon. Wearing a nudish
leotard and vaguely Aztec headdress,
Yuriko Kimura moves as fluidly as the
suffusion of moonlight. Tim Wengerd,
the company's outstanding male dan-
cer, is just as smooth and similarly
dressed in Aztec costume. Limber male
dancers are rare; Wengerd has
unusually high extension and slides into
the splits with ease.
The stage sets, designed by Marisol,
complement the two characters: the
moon stands on a tiered sculpture of
rounded forms, .the sun on a flat,
angular plateau.
MARISOL ALSO designed the full,
round, somewhat dusty purple cape
lined with red. Red is traditionally
associated with passion and purple with
holiness in Graham's symbol system.
While sun and moon do suggestive, ec-
static lifts, Wengerd whips the red side
of the cape around his body. Wengerd
and Kimura's agility and quicksilver
timing made Equatorial by far the
solstice of the evening.
Errand into the Maze was another of
the heavily mytho-allegoric dances in
Graham's repertoire which must be
seen more than once to be fully ap-
preciated. The program note presents
this as "an errand into the maze of the
heart's darkness, in order to face and
do battle with the Creature of Fear."
Charles Brown as the ultra-
masculine Creature wears the loincloth
of one of Conrad's savages and the
combined headdress of a matador's cap
with the protruding horns of the
Knossos bull.
THE COSTUME OF the woman
(Peggy Lyman) is a white dress twined
with black chain, designed by Graham
and cunningly integrated with
Noguchi's set, part of which is a white
rope lying tangled on the staged floor.
Lyman shows little sense of
dynamics, moving at constant high pit-
ch as she plays Chinese jumprope
across the tangle of lines with tiny,
rapid jumps to represent her
bewilderment in the maze. Then, a
reverse of Ariadne, Lyman pulls in the
clew and winds it around Noguchi's
sculpture of elongated cylindrical for-
ms.
Woman and Creature battle briefly,
Charles Brown dancing all the while
with his arms draped over a bone-
shaped yoke. This apparently does not
impede his mobility. He does emphatic
jumps with legs bent in second, some
powerful primal foot-stomping, and
astounding lifts with Lyman. As Edwin
Denby said of the Company in 1943,
"one has the impression of not having
seen any of the movements before, of
never having seen bodies take these odd
shapes."
The Michigan Daily-Wednesday, October 25, 1978-Page 5
Graham dancers
Diversion of Angels was more lyrica
and less heavily symbolic than th
preceding numbers. It is about youthf
beauty, youthful pleasure, and firs
love. In Graham's classic long skirt
couples in brown leap, lift, and piroue
te in primarily diagonal floor patterns
Every move is perfectly controlled
from the synchronized stomping pas
de-chats to the silent, agile cartwheel
of the men. Special kudos to Christine
Dakin for her sailing lepidopterou
leaps and to Tim Wengerd who caugh
her mid-air with practiced smoothness.
The polish of the Company's ensem
ble work is the result of a leader wh
demands perfection and discipline. A
curtain call, Martha Graham appeare
for a bow and a standing ovation. At 85,
she is still the punch as well as th
name behind her company.
I
Richards
is rolling
TORONTO (AP) - Rolling Stones
guitarist Keith Richards was put on
one year's probation Tuesday and
ordered to give a benefit performan-
ce for the blind after pleading guilty
to a heroin possession charge. Coun-
ty Judge Lloyd Graburn said he
decided against giving the 34-year-
old rock star a jail term. The herion
conviction could have carried a
maximum seven-year sentence.
Richards originally had been
charged with possession 'of heroin
for the purpose of trafficking and
possession of cocaine. But he
pleaded guilty to a reduced charge
of possession of heroin and the
cocaine charge was dropped.
GRABURN SAID the benefit per-
formance must be given for the
Canadian National Institute for the
Blind within six months.
The sentence was greeted by ap-
plause from persons packed into the*
courtroom and Richatds smiled and
nodded at the mention of the charity
performance. He triumphantly
waved his fist at fans at the back of
the courtroom as he left.
Under the terms of the probation
order, Richards is required to report
within 24 hours to a probation officer
and twice more at six month inter-
vals. The order means Richards is
free to leave Canada.
The guitarist for the British rock
group was charged in February,
1977, after police searched his
Toronto hotel room. Police said they
found a pouch containing 22 grams
of heroin. Richards and the band
were in Toronto to record Love You
Live.
Evidence showed that Richards
had been a heroin addict since 1972
and had fought several unsuccessful
battles to break away from the drug.
crisp timing. Her long slender legs are.
well-suited to the flex-footed strides and
extensions which typify Graham's
style.
Elisa Monte dances Joan the Maid,
without Eilber's energy, balance, or
timing. A sequence where Monte is
supposed to exuberantly flip her head-
scarf becomes mere spastic swatting,
though she does a superb series of con-
tract-and-release turns - another
Graham motif.
Tiny Christine Dakin is Joan the
Warrior in a half-seductive, half-holy
duet with St. Michael (Peter Sparling).
St. Michael takes a metallic silver
sword from the stage set, a cross bet-
ween a jungle gym and a Gothic
cathedral designed by Isamu Noguchi.
He simultaneously dubs Joan Knight
and Martyr with the crucifix-shaped
sword.
JOAN THE MARTYR is portrayed by
Lucinda Mitchell in a close-fitting, long
white gown. With restrained, almost
Japanese steps, she is guided by St.
Catherine and St. Margaret to sit next
to St. Michael inside the cathedral con-
struction. The-wings of the construction
are folded inward, enshrining the tran-
sfigured Joan. Only the wobbly con-
The game was the last of the season,
The Michigan scoreboard was pleasin',
So Bo took his winners
To the League for their dinners,
He's one coach that uses good reason!
TheMichigan
LeAgU Next to Hill Auditorium
Located in the heart of the campus.
it is the heart of the campus ...
Lunch 11:30 to 1:15
Dinner 5:00 to 7:15
SNACK BAR
L)owe-r Level
Opra 7: 15 AMt Pto -:00 PM
Send your League Limerick to:
Manager. Michigan League
227 South Ingalls
You will receive 2 free dinner
tickets if your limerick is used in
one of our ads.
Music from La Mancha
Songs from their upcoming play, MAN OF LA
MANCHA, performed by the Musket cast Thursday,
October 26th at 4 p.m. at...
CAINTERBURY LOFT
332 SOUTH STA1TE STREET, second floor
Royne Counfy Ski Weeks
Christmas New year's
THE UNEXPECTED GUEST
is here at the
LYDIA MENDELSSOHN THEATRE
Dec. 22-27
$60 per person/per week
Dec. 27-Jan.1
INCLUDES
Ann ARBOR CIViC 1n-IRTRE
* 5 rights lodging at CAMP SEA GULL overlooking beautiful
Lake Charlevoix
* Full Breakfast & Dinner Daily
" X-Country Trails (Beg. to Expert)
0 Minutes to Boyne Mt. & Highlands
" Skiers'lodge with fireplaces, rec room and T.V. lounge
CALL 313-355-3114
phone 763-1085 for info.
box office hours- 0 AM-6 PM
I 1
Keith Richards
THE ECUMENICAL CAMPUS CENTER
continues the
DISTINGUISHED
FACULTY SERIES
with a lecture by
DR. DONALD RUCKNAGEL
Professor of Genetics and Internal Medicine
"ETHICAL DIMENSIONS
OF MODERN GENETICS"
Friday, October 27-8 P.M.
at the
Ecumenical Campus Center
921 Church St.
The public is invited
Walk into the incredible. true
experience of Billy Hayes.
And bring all the courage
you can.
f
BII.T Y HMY!S
APRI , NEW YORK. NEW YORK
xxx
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MAYBE YOU CAN DO
SOMETHING DIFFERENT!
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