The Press Says | Press Reviews
Ashley Stein - Female Arts - Edinburgh - Scotland
'I'm blind, living in the dark. Darkness is my education.
Vendetta Mathea’s production opens in complete darkness. As the room begins to brighten she speaks clear and soft into the dim, narrow light, her face skewed by the shadows, her movements only just visible. As she becomes the focus of the space, I feel like I am watching her from afar as she becomes one with the earth in a beautiful Japanese forest. She dances so effortlessly, so in tune with the music that even without any visual effects the atmosphere alone transports you to another world.
As her dancers approach the stage, striking figures in red, she leads them in to breath taking movements as she orchestrates their bodies, willing them to be free and fluid like her. All three await her touch before spinning out into incredible displays as if they are instruments through which to express her emotions. They follow her, calling to each other in wolf like whimpers that develop in to hard, precise shouts and focused martial art like calls. Surya Berthomieux is especially impressive. Her fluid, organic movements and wide eyed expressions mixed with her ability to be poised and precise when necessary truly capture the two subjects of the piece; animal and human.
In Vendatta’s own words, Homme | Animal aims to offer an emotional journey in to our human common grounds hoping that we will be able to relate the production to our lives. Whilst I understand the intention, I think I in fact felt the opposite. The forest noises, the throat singing, the smells brought on from sitting in that hot room all made my imagination run wild. I had them preparing for a battle, holding out through a storm and surviving the fight of their lives. I do not see this as failure however but rather an incredible success on so many levels; this is a truly incredible production which must be seen to be appreciated.
To know our humanity, we have to stay in touch with our animal selves.'
Jo Tomalin - FringeReview- Edinburgh - Scotland
'A visceral, joyous contemporary dance piece exploring the animal and emotions within us. High quality dancing and interesting original choreography. Creative and vibrant.
Vendetta Mathea and her dance company’s Homme /Animal is a substantial choreographed piece by Mathea about the animal in all of us who faces complicated emotional states – it is an exciting vibrant evening of pure dance! This contemporary dance company comprises Vendetta Mathea and three dancers – Surya Berthomieux, Link Berthomieux and Nicolas Garsault – who are all very well trained in several dance styles. Mathea, is a statuesque beautiful dancer who is first on scene, speaking phrases about heart, family and culture, while moving. Her charismatic presence, feline qualities of fluid dance movement, wonderful extensions and power are a joy to watch. Three dancers enter, and Mathea vocalises for the rest of the performance. It’s an interesting set up and the quality of her dancing is wonderful.
The two male and one female dancers – dressed in form fitting scarlet red shorts or dress – are lithe, athletic and graceful. This is the type of dance performance where you can sit back and admire the beauty, outstanding skills of the dancers and rich pastiche of a wide variety of music. However, although there is no story per se, there is a deep exploration of the theme resulting in glorious choreography that is interesting, original, sensory and non generic. Choreography in classical and contemporary dance is often generic and even superficial these days. Finding choreographers who are interested in moving it forward with depth of emotion are few. Mathea’s choreography on this piece is exciting, creative, unpredictable and visceral. This is contemporary dance with brief classical ballet steps sprinkled throughout and integrated into the choreography such as grand jeté, assemblé, pas de bourrée.
The dancers are precise. They leap high with superb extensions. Each dancer is sensitive, strong and shows personality through their dance, which is wonderful – there is no weak link in this company. An exciting music score is a mash-up ranging from metal, piano, to wind sounds and others by Tchad; combined with dance, it often has a filmic quality, taking us away from our busy lives. Beautiful lighting design by Olivier Caldamaison add atmosphere and drama. At times the choreography and sound-scape seem to take on a jungle like milieu, however, how each one of us interprets dance is personal so maybe there were no animals in the piece! A couple of things to consider – the spoken word at the beginning could be louder and better integrated, and the second half of the piece could benefit from editing. However, it’s up to each of us to decide and simply enjoy the journey. What is important is that we recognize the piece as a whole as a vibrant, visceral dance piece of high quality.
Frank Derrington - FreshFringe - Edinburgh - Scotland
'As the show begins, Vendetta Mathea herself emerges from the darkness and performs a solo piece which can be thought of almost as a prelude to the rest of the show. She uses her body and voice with a beautiful and subtle precision and, with the audience transfixed, sets the tone for the rest of the performance. As if beckoned on stage by this opening section, the three other dancers, who perform the majority of the piece, appear animal-like on stage. They are accompanied by the most phenomenally mixed and perfectly fitting soundtrack.
Vendetta dances alongside her dancers at points throughout the performance, but spends much of it at the side of the stage, spirit-like yet strangely in control through animalistic cries. This relationship […] appears to be a vital part of the show. It becomes hard to tell if the noises are punctuating the movements or provoking them. Either way, the dancers appear to be experiencing each movement afresh and the choreography consequently appears raw and organic. Subtle but precise moments of fluid calm juxtaposed with great fearless leaps of magnificent motion have the audience totally spellbound throughout.
Every movement has some raw meaning behind it and not a single step appears to be choreographed simply for the sake of showing off. Which isn’t to say that a large proportion of the choreography isn’t totally breathtaking in terms of difficulty or being physically demanding. Simply that these astounding dancers instead pour every ounce of energy within their bodies into performing something which celebrates the souls that inhabit bodies and the connections between humans as animals. Most spectacular is when the three dancers flow into perfect synchronisation having fallen into a sort of tumultuous chaos. Equally impressive as their ability to dance as one, are moments in which chain reactions of movements occur and, again, seem totally natural and organic.
An absolute pleasure to watch from start to finish which will leave you in awe.'
Alex Reeves - Broadway Baby - Edinburgh - Scotland
'‘I’m blind, living in the dark. Darkness is my education’ – so Juilliard-trained dancer and choreographer Vendetta Mathea opens Homme | Animal. She utters these words with her eyes closed, and proceeds to execute a mesmerising solo before leaving the stage to the three-dancer ensemble that takes the stage for the following hour.
Evocatively lit and accompanied by a powerful original soundtrack, the show sees its dancers smoothly weave their way through solos, duets and trios that span a range of styles, from Cunningham- and Graham-influenced contemporary dance to ballet and breakdance.
[…] This piece truly highlights humans’ primeval nature, and the audience is transfixed by the combination of the music and the beautiful mechanics of the dancers’ bodies.
[…] The dancers have plenty of scope to show their talent, dancing in response to each other and on their own, their movements so well calibrated and executed that the audience cannot take their eyes off them. Occasionally they truly resemble animals, jerking their arms and heads like exotic birds or prowling like wolves, dancing in shifting alliances like members of a pack, threatening one moment, at rest the next. […]'
Monica Park - SketchandReview - Edinburgh - Scotland
'If you’ve ever sung, or played a wind instrument, or done yoga, or engaged in any kind of sports activity really, you’ll know how important, and how revolutionary, awareness of breath is. Vendetta Mathea […] offers a deeply moving rumination on the beauty and primacy of breath (among other things), and is breathtakingly good.
[…] Her piece, Homme | Animal, blends with the formalism of balletic technique a great multi-cultural smorgasbord of other styles: from breakdancing & krumping to capoeira to tai-chi-style martial arts. The piece begins with the beautifully aging body of the 61-year-old Mathea weaving and flowing to the music; and then it absolutely explodes in dynamism and intensity when the three other dancers — Link Berthomieux, Surya Berthomieux, and Nicolas Garsault — take the stage. […] All three are athletic and expressive dancers, but Link Berthomieux’s particularly powerful athleticism — reflective of his background in hip hop and breaking – is awe-inspiring to behold.
All of this is set to a partially live & real-time soundtrack: a series of breaths, animal cries, and yells produced mostly by Mathea, who spends much of the time on the sidelines, off stage, issuing noise and broodingly watching over her dance troupe like a great Mother Goddess.'
Sarah Lewis - Mumble Dance - Edinburgh - Scotland
'Mathea moves gracefully, with elegant arms like a bird in the wind. Floating, fluttering, swooping and gliding through the dramatic location lighting. Every movement touches the exact tone. You can see the years of training and experience flow from Mathea.
A female and two male dancers approach the stage, dressed simply in red minimal clothes enabling you to see their full movements and physical ability. Thundering mechanical noises interrupt the tender stringed instrumental as the trio shift into calculated robotic movements. Mathea takes to side stage and begins to intersperse the space with deep breath, animal calls and wimpers over sound of rain and wind. The dancers continue dancing non-stop throughout the performance. Their stamina and energy is commendable. Adopting true beast-like qualities in their movements. There was a moment when one dancer curves and contorts his body across the floor and painting the floor with his perspiration, whether it was intended or not, I saw it as a form of art on another level. From time to time the dancers vocalise their own individual movements, posed, flinching, ready to pounce on their next move. Meet the animal within you and crawl, scamper or leap along to meet Homme / Animal'.
The List Week 2 - Edinburgh - Scotland
'HITLIST - THE BEST DANCE EVENTS - Exciting and unpredictable dance from US-born choreographer Vendetta Mathea, exploring the animal in all of us.'
Kelly Apter - The Scotsman - Edinburgh - Scotland
'[…] Homme/Animal has an almost hypnotic effect on you. […] Mathea opens the show – a gentle, yet compelling presence alone on the stage. It’s a brief solo, that paves the way for the main event – two men and one woman who turn out a punishing 50 minutes of non-stop energy. No breaks, no entrances and exits – just pure, full-on dance.
Dressed in red silk (short dress for the woman, tight shorts for the men) there is ample opportunity to see these amazing bodies at work. As the name suggests, Homme/Animal explores the complexity of human emotions – and how sometimes we’re more animal than human.
To that end, their bodies occasionally take on real animal properties – not in a comic way, but with a visceral intensity. The style is mixed – the power and grace of technically strong contemporary, mixed with the odd dash of hip hop, which blends seamlessly into the action.
All three performers have a fearless approach to movement, responding well to Mathea’s choreography which mixes high lifts and low floor work, fast and slow action and ever-shifting group dynamics to ensure that […] there’s always something new and exciting to watch.'
Lucy Ribchester - The List - Edinburgh - Scotland
'Choreographer Vendetta Mathea' latest is exactly what late night Fringe dance should be. The animal in us all is topic du jour at this year’s Fringe, from Circa's irreverent toying with bunny heads in Beyond to Czech choreographer Lenka Vagnerová's untamed she-wolf La Loba. In Homme/Animal, from US-born choreographer, Vendetta Mathea, the exploration is more cerebral and instinctive, as she digs deep into her dancers's bodies to dredge up movement that connects us to beasts while raising us above them in dexterity and style.
From the moment Mathea appears onstage – curving gentle patterns with her legs, arms light as blown feathers – it is clear this is going to be an electrifying hour. Swooping, unfurling, she plays upon her body with the spontaneity of a musician, melting into the timbre of the score’s lone stringed instrument.
But it is when the rest of the four-strong cast come pulsing onto the stage that the drama begins to ratchet up. Hardened earthy voices and beats anchor a fierce ritualistic dance, shifting into patterns of Zen-like focus, and out again into strong calligraphic shapes. Mathea herself sits at the sidelines, punctuating the movement with unearthly calls, yips and sobs.
The most exciting and unpredictable solos come from Link Berthomieux, who flicks himself into knots and swirls with shades of Carlos Acosta’s fiery quickness. [...] bold and thrilling, this is exactly what late night Fringe dance should be.'
Elilä Saimaa - Imatra - Finland
'Homme|Animal is a liberating experience. For a moment, it removed the viewer's mind from the chains of the spoken language.'
Darrell Wood - NYC Dance Stuff - New York - USA
'Homme|Animal is a spiritual journey, a journey of breath, and natural movement blended with the inner voices of the each of the dancers ... The dancers are exquisite. Their performance is primal, a mixture of breath, movement and primitive vocalizations, that are sometimes heard as if commands, for they seem to communicate in a unique language of sound and body ... Each dancer throughout the piece has repeated solos, each more daring then the last. Leaps in the air that fall to the floor then roll head over feet only to burst in to the air to perform another seemingly inconceivable feat ... It is hard to take your eyes off Mr. Berthomieux, he seems capable to stand on his hands and bend his body in angles beyond the bounds of possibility. His hip-hop roots are evident in his body turns on the floor and movements with a lock and pop action ... Mr. Garsault seems content to spend as much time in the air as he does having contact with the floor. His moves are so athletic and his crisp modern technique is at the forefront with each leap and turn. His gymnast background cannot be missed as he performs a Front Pike Somersault that had me asking myself “did he just do that?” ... Ms. Debrabant is the much needed balance for so much testosterone being thrown around on stage. Her moves while no less athletic, possess such smooth femininity and grace she alone is the catalyst that gives reasoning to the men, allowing them to revel their tenderness, their compassion. She leaps into the arms of Mr. Berthomieux and he catches her and displays such tenderness of raw emotion, it is a moment suspended in time. When he sits her down we witness a struggle between the two men, a primordial need for dominance over the other ... Homme|Animal is a mirror that peers into the recesses of the human psyche and shows the still primal urges that govern human-kind. The one hour piece is a blend of anthropology and art for Ms. Mathea utilizes breath, vocalization and the human body to reflect and remind us we are not so far removed from our primordial beginnings as we think.'
Philip Gardner - Oberon's Grove - New York - USA
'Vendetta Mathea with her astonishing and unorthodox vocalism, evoking sounds of birds, animals and an entire jungle with uncanny skill. The dancers moving with a kind of savage grace that straddled the world between animal and human movement. Elements of hip-hop, break-dancing, folk dance, even classical ballet may be grasped in this sensuous and visually alluring work. The dancers are beautiful, mysterious, predatory, isolated and tribal by turns. It's a very sexy work, though nothing sexual transpires. Powerful, shadowy work as a testament to the universal language of dance.'
Rosita Boisseau - Telerama - France
'A profound work on the core of human nature'
Jean-Michel Gauthier - La Marseillaise - France
'A return to the original being: primitive man or evolved animal? Dance and so-called modern choreographies sometimes put off the uninitiated by taking too complex an approach. This is not the case in Homme|Animal. Here, choreographer Vendetta Mathea presents a show in which the techniques and rigor of dance are enhanced by outstanding acting work and a moving script. The piece is truly within everyone's reach. Simply let yourself be carried away by the music and the dance, let your mind wander and feel yourself become an insect, a butterfly in Amazonia or a wolf hunting for food. The dancers make us forget their human bodies, returning to the state of primitive beings. They take us to another level of consciousness, a trance or hypnosis, and bring out our animal instinct. The cries of animal or human origin, the noise of the storm and the fluidity of the four dancers immerse us in a parallel world. The observation of animal behaviour is quite remarkable in the way that the dancers move and how the wolves behave in the face of death. A great moment of gentleness, happiness, pleasure and emotion.'
Philippe Verrièle - Rencontres danse - Avignon Festival
'... a quality of writing and a refinement in the dance ... The piece is happy to accept itself as one that is very danced, with a variety of different gestural techniques. It's not at all a fusion dance ... It's a style. A style made up of fluidity and superb work especially on the relationship with weight ... Something very personal, original and precious.'
Muriel Steinmetz - L'Humanité - France
'Vendetta goes back a long way. The Franco-American choreographer Vendetta Mathea is presenting Man Animal, a piece for three young dancers (Surya Berthomieux, Link Berthomieux and Nicolas Garsault). Vendetta Mathea, who fought for civil rights in the United States, has followed her own path slightly apart from the major currents of contemporary dance. She creates an intimate mix between the influences of the great masters of modern American dance and other techniques, such as tai chi and urban dance. Man Animal confronts constricted bodies overawed by duty (arms and legs stretched out) with others subject to an agitation very expressive of emotion. Sensitive to the sounds of nearby nature, the howl of a wolf, the dancers discard their learned postures. They are transformed before our eyes, reviving buried forces and seeming to rediscover the full use of what they were before civilisation. Impressive.'
Marie Chavanieux - La Terrasse - France
'The Franco-American choreographer Vendetta Mathea is presenting a remarkable piece, magnificently performed by three young dancers. Trained at the Juilliard School of Music, New York, Vendetta Mathea started out as a performer in 1971. She danced in the companies of Walter Nicks, Katherine Dunham and Paul Taylor, then began composing her own pieces in 1979: solos that she presented mainly in Europe and France, where she settled to found her company in Aurillac, in 1983. People talked about her "contemporary ethnic dance": her Afro-American origins and her fight for civil rights (she was a militant in the days of Martin Luther King) are echoed in her pieces. With some fifty new pieces, she has invented her own path away from the major currents of contemporary dance. With Homme|Animal, she has produced an unclassifiable work. She thus offers us a warm-hearted journey through the thinking that has been at the forefront of her choreographic searching for many years: human nature and the emotions. How do we remain animal and become man?'
Lise Ott - Midi Libre - France
'There's something very passionate about Homme|Animal! The theme is broken down into three figures performed by three excellent dancers (two men and a woman), who have created the musical accompaniment themselves, and it develops like a hymn to nature, with bird cries, melodic notes, sounds of storms and vocal expressions instilled by the choreographer defining an enchanting, timeless setting. It's conducive to an adventure in movement in which sensuality – swaying, expressive bursts of energy, feline postures – agitates the bodies in a restrained, graceful manner. Man is upright, animal is undulation, litheness, instinct. But there's nothing erotic about it. Man accepts the animal part that's within him, with no feeling of guilt. The message, that some people have said is 'a real therapy', has a liberating quality to it. Vendetta Mathea uses the poetry of the body to teach us self love: it's a great idea!'
L'Union - France
'How can I know myself if I think I'm someone they want me to be?" With these words as a preface to her ballet "Homme|Animal", choreographer Vendetta Mathea continues her quest for the essential in man, where he is close to the animal. Three dancers of an exemplary virtuosity and physical commitment dance her words. By acknowledging the animal in us, vibrant, fierce and powerful, we discover the core of our humanity. Man's animal origins will only harm society if they are discredited. Dance offers the only vocabulary capable of reaching out towards the sources of our behaviour.'
Jean-Dominique Burtin - La Republique du Centre - France
''Homme|Animal': pure dance, an opera for body and soul, stunning for its completeness and virtuosity. Introduced by choreographer Vendetta Mathea who, alone on stage, talks about her questioning of what is inside her body, 'Homme|Animal' is a remarkable piece of choreography. Performed by three young dancers, Surya Berthomieux, Link Berthomieux and Nicolas Garsault, it is an extraordinarily dense work and no doubt a physical test for the artistes, but also an extreme self-sacrifice. Against a background of world music past and present, from requiem to hip hop, 'Homme|Animal' is a wonderful, fierce, loving, hour-long hymn to nature. In short, whether they're dancing in a silence disturbed only by their own breathing, or to a background of birdsong, Vendetta Mathea's voice or the sound of a storm, the performers are the medium through which we are given a very rare offering.'
Philippe Verrièle - Danser - France
'A superbly danced production – we must keep an eye on Surya Berthomieux – that strives to be understood by the public and that believes in the honest message of dance! Everything from the costumes – short dress and tight-fitting boxer shorts – to the synthesizer music contributes to a feeling of anachronism. And yet it all works well, the scenes link together clearly and energetically. Yes, the dramatic intention is simple but effective and engaging. Yes, Man is an animal and remains so; as the movements explain, he has to find his humanity within himself. Yes, the mix of classical, jazz and hip-hop dance is anticipated. Yes to all that. But by making no concession to fashion and by believing in its ancient virtues, Man Animal has an invigorating, timeless freshness.'
Luciana Talamonti - La Stampa - Italy
'Silenzio..e via la ritmo, alla voce e ad una musica in perfetta sinergia con la danza di 3 incredibili ballerini. Un movimento fluido e ritmico spesso spezzato da un uso del corpo fatto di sapienza tecnica, passionalità e armonia. Lo spettacolo procede ad un ritmo frenetico dove la profonda essenza dell'essere umano si mescola a istinti tribali e impulsi animali. E la scena si fa giungla, savana, terra, tra giochi e passaggi in perfetta fluidità, dove voci e ritmi esterni spezzano, accavallano e cavalcano le movenze dei corpi in continuo divenire. Uno spettacolo eccellente dove tutta la formazione e l'arte della brava regista Vendetta Mathea incontra la grande arte dei 3 ballerini diretti in Homme |Animal.'
Roberta Spaventa - Fiori.tv - Italy
'Dire Avignone ormai è non solo riferirsi alla bella e caratteristica città dei papi, ma significa dire teatro, arti e performance di grande qualità internazionale. ... Lo spettacolo tra i più apprezzati di quest'anno è Homme animal, della brava regista Vendetta Mathea.'
Kathy Hanin - Midi Libre - France
''Homme|Animal', a moment of grace at the Golovine Theatre. Life grabs us, desire escapes us. "Who are you if you lose your instinct, your soul, your heart? How can you be happy if you're no longer any more than half of yourself?" asks choreographer Vendetta Mathea before handing the stage over to two male dancers and one female, who show an astonishing feline grace and virtuosity. Man Animal, the production that they dance, examines human nature. Man and animal in turn, prehistoric and mechanical, fluid and possessed, they explore the adventure that makes us become a Man but forces us to remain an animal in order to feel and experience, all to a bewitching soundtrack chanted by Vendetta Mathea herself. A wonderful moment of grace and energy.'
Anne-Marie Goulay - AVIGnews.com - France
'One cannot avoid mentioning the beauty of Surya, Link and Nicolas, or their youth. A form of self-sacrifice and innocence in doing it, but it's not just that. There's also the grace of the score created for them by Vendetta Mathea, which is made up of profoundly incarnate movements, some violent, others elegant, written and danced on eggshells. Each segment of the three bodies gives an account of this questioning that stirs us: between Man and animal, what do we want to be? Through this performance we feel ourselves being gently guided towards the paths of equilibrium …'
Stephen Pisani - Arte TV - France
'The work of Franco-American choreographer Vendetta Mathea examines our view of human nature by trying to seize that vital part, that animality that makes us human. The three dancers give everything they've got, portraying this unusual, wild, poetic universe. Homme|Animal is a powerful show that gets right into our flesh.'
