A „dissection chamber“ was definitely needed for this endeavor conceived by Düsseldorf-based choreographer duo, Verena Billinger and Sebastian Schulz. Its aim nothing less than deconstructing the history of choreography itself, then reassembling it, using a multitude of quotes. (…) Mimics is excluded from the „plot“, but other than that there’s no taboo the artists would shy away from. The naked body is presented often enough for art to triumph over eroticism, until all of it collides into a maelstrom of color. What remains is a fast-forward montage showing the evolution of contemporary dance, in ever so inventive combinations, without passing judgment. (…) The audience doesn’t remain silent for long, until rapturous applause sets in, which in this intensity is unusual in the Forum Freies Theater (…) a truly outstanding dance experience. opernnetz
Facial expressions and the sequence of movements seem solemnly earnest, although one does wonder from time to time whether some of it might be born out of irony. (…) But as the evening progresses, the characters become more and more fantastic, riddled, and detached from the world. Simultaneously the dance itself becomes more and more professional. There is a truth in this: dancers at the height of their technical ability are in and of themselves „Unlikely Creatures“. Yet we enjoy being transported into this mysterious world, its appearance is mostly cheerful and harmonious, and the images it creates are beautiful. Perhaps this magical forest could offer us an escape from everyday fears and sorrows; or perhaps we would need to face dangerous adventures first, like Alice in Wonderland. (…) But the rules of the dance – they apply here above all: with extraordinary precision the five performers move to the rhythm of the music. (…) In the first part of „Unlikely Creatures“ they rediscover their romantic souls, creating primarily beautiful images without ever succumbing to kitsch. We await the continuation of the series with excitement. tanznetz
The outstanding dancers draw from a rich repertoire of movements (…). A beautiful last image that underscores the joy of playing with different artistic genres, stiles, and eras, and transforms the body into an impressive visual medium. Rheinische Post Krefeld
(…) so they [Verena Billinger und Sebastian Schulz] present a peculiar laboratory in their „Unlikely Creatures“, where the movements of their dancers (arms, legs, joints, head, neck, hips, and shoulders) are taken apart. Like with a dissecting knife in (…). The five performers open so many doors, inspire the imagination in ways that don’t leave one second of boredom. A truly rare occurrence in the performance scene. WZ
When Verena Billinger and Sebastian Schulz come out with a new piece, there’s one thing one shouldn’t do: be certain what to expect. Their „Unlikely Creatures“, currently premiering at the FFT Kammerspiele, present themselves as a dance performance, but are ultimately an experimental arrangement, a danced history of dance itself, culminating in the question: What kind of creature am I – a spirit, a monster, or a sun? The excellent performers stand across from each other, a DJ delivers the live soundtrack in a mix of electronic, house, and pop, to which the dancers practice their movements, inspired by the individual motor systems of their creatures, sometimes moving in absurd-looking ways, ridding themselves of their clothes, morphing with colorful body paint into the fantastical creatures they are. Rheinische Post Düsseldorf
When watching the ciphers on stage, one tries to spot nuances that could reveal something about the performer’s actual involvement. They only seem to be partially present, to exist in a jelly-like in-between that may protect them, but lacks oxygen. Without necessarily wanting to follow the artists’ reference about theater history and the non-normative representations of monsters and ferries in the medium of dance, one could interpret it as a very topical, strange phenomenon of our sedate realities, wherein the joy of exercising the body can only be achieved by a fixed number of escape modes. Windowless, only one thing is lacking to break through to the other side: a little more air. Above. tanz
The choreography of Verena Billinger and Sebastian Schulz begins reliably intense. Theme of their current production: „Unlikely Creatures – who we are.“ (…) The performers act with utmost concentration – practically demanding unconditional attention from the audience. (…) And the more non-human their creatures become, the more they begin to communicate with each other. The spectrum goes from barging into each other to making love, the painted colors on their individual bodies begin to mix, the dancers appear like indigenous people from forgotten worlds. NRZ