The Abduction of Sita

The point of departure is the pivotal chapter relating the story of the ‘good ruler’ Rama and his beautiful wife, Sita, which dramatically culminates in the abduction of Sita by the demon Ravana. Joachim Schloemer, the director and choreographer, forges a link between the age-old epic of love, dynastic struggles, sacrifice and jealousy on the one hand, and contemporary social realities on the other: He regards abduction as a manifestation of pretensions to power in the East and the West. In this work, he uses the stylistic means of collage, and creates surprising constellations by combining Kathak (the Indian dance) and live Sufi and Hindustani music with video scenes and electronic sounds, and verses from Ramayana with the statements of kidnap victims in the wars of our time.

The Abduction of Sita is simultaneously a play, dance, mobile-phone video, musical evening and congress. It is an international project developed by Joachim Schloemer in co-operation with German and Indian artists and produced in India. He started researching the project on location back in 2003. It proved to be an experience with far-reaching consequences: ‘Working on this project compelled me to take a stance on social and political issues.’

His response to the traditional reception of the epic, which employs the means of contemporary dance theatre, creates space for weaving topical political associations and for reflecting upon the potential contained in intercultural dialogue.

A joint production by Mediapool Veranstaltungsservice GmbH, Berlin, the House of World Cultures, the Theater Freiburg, the Schauspielhaus Düsseldorf and the city of Auroville near Madras, Chennai in southern India. 'The Abduction of Sita' was funded by the Kulturstiftung des Bundes, Halle/S.