Motherland
2012
‘What gives Vincent’s work its power is that it is born not of hot-housed theory but of lived experience. It comes from the heart and that’s not always a pretty place.’ The Observer
Winding its way through airbrushed beauty, boob jobs and Botox, victim blaming, slut shaming, the might of motherhood and the challenge of childlessness, Motherland is a funny and moving show about having it all.
In Motherland, Vincent Dance Theatre’s brilliant, multi-talented ensemble of men, women and children take a look at the gender they were born into and the price they are paying for it.
Spurred on by Simone de Beauvoir, Caitlin Moran and the Spice Girls, Vincent goes into battle with the big boys, arguing against a narrow, over-sexualized definition of femininity to ask what it is that we really, really want. Uncompromising yet utterly accessible, Motherland has a broad appeal for both sexes through its potent blend of theatre and dance.
Motherland is a call to arms: one that sticks two fingers up at the shallow hypocrisies and inequalities of our time and asks ‘what do we hope for now?’
“Delivers moments of extraordinary intimacy reminiscent of the late Pina Bausch” The Guardian
“Slick and stylish dance theatre… gritty, gutsy humour” London Dance
“Admirably uncompromising” The Times
Motherland was commissioned by Brighton Dome and Festival, South East Dance, Corn Exchange Newbury, The Point Eastleigh and Peak Performances @ Montclair State University, New Jersey, USA.
Motherland was also part of the Bitch MATERial exhibition in Berlin in 2018.
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Director's Notes
MOTHERLAND is a visually stark set of images in black and white that reveal the complex internal and external relationships that women have with their bodies, with their sense of self and with men.
MOTHERLAND breathes life into stagnant stereotypes, embraces societal archetypes and investigates form. Set against a contemporary media context of vacuously plastic, over-sexualised images of girls and women who seem untouched by age, injury or pregnancy. MOTHERLAND explores the spectrum of masculinity and femininity questioning how women take up space, find a voice, make some noise.
Driven by sex, birth and death, the work sees men in transition and women failing to find any visible power – grown adults crawling in and out of the dirt. By the end of the work, performers are soiled by sweat, blood and earth. It’s the stuff of life.
A 13 year old girl, on the cusp of womanhood, threads through the piece, taking it all in, seeking to make sense of what she sees, treading a delicate path. Offering no easy answers MOTHERLAND asks: how shall we clean up our act for the next generation?
MOTHERLAND is dedicated to the memory of choreographer/performer Nigel Charnock, 1960- 2012, whose fearless energy inspired a generation of dance makers to take emotional and physical risks. This production is for M, who held my hand for four long years as the blood spilled and shocks hit and the tears kept falling.
Charlotte Vincent
Director, Motherland