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Carol Genetti, Asimina Chremos and Thomas Helton. Photo by yours truly.

At the end of May I attended Quicksilver Occasion Pieces at Silverspace: Vocalist Carol Genetti, dancer Asimina Chremos and bassist Thomas Helton in various combinations and collaborative improvisation. Birds of a feather, the three each have a tremendous command of technique combined with a profoundly open investigative spirit. Genetti flew through an enormous range of sounds and textures, capable both of intricate runs of staccato grunts and pops like the fatigued labors of a rusted machine and stretches of sustained, honeyed tones; she and Chremos chased one another in mutual inspiration, each able to create instantly an unexpected but fitting complement to the other’s action. Helton performed a solo piece that laid haunted knocks and rubs of his bass’ body on top of the deep, rumbling ostinato of a midnight freight train, and the three concluded with a joint performance that found Chremos casting the net of her movement research around everyone: At one point, she and Genetti crawled on hands and knees together, pulling the realms of movement and sound — their joints knocking the wooden floor — into a single, undifferentiated expressive space. It was an evening as powerful as it was intimate.

Did you miss it? Well, Quicksilver is back August 8 for a second installment: Chremos and Genetti return — as a duo they’re called Echo Den — and Philadelphia dancer Nicole Bindler and percussionist Michael Zerang complete the bill. At 8:00pm in Silverspace’s new annex Outer Space (next door in the same building, 1474 North Milwaukee Avenue); a mere seven dollars is suggested for admission. RSVP via email to silverspacedance (at) gmail (dot) com.