Chemnitz dances to the Odyssey in C: A cultural festival for all the senses!

Chemnitz dances to the Odyssey in C: A cultural festival for all the senses!

Chemnitz, Deutschland - On June 26, 2025, Chemnitz, this year's European Capital of Culture, enjoyed a very special dance event: "Odyssey in C". At this unique event, which interpreted the 18 episodes by James Joyce's masterpiece "Ulysses", played 18 different locations in the city alternately. The first performance at dawn in the Markersdorfer Oasis was a bit early for many spectators, but started an exciting day of art and culture. [FAZ.NET reports that ...] (https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/musik-und-buehne/tanz/in-chemnitz-interpretieren-tatzgruppen- joyces-ulyss-kreativ-110565495.html)

The performance "Odyssey in C" sailed through the city like a red thread and presented dance choreographies in impressive places, including the picturesque Jakobikirche and the old market hall. Each episode was creatively implemented by various dance groups. Among other things, the audience was able to experience the elegant performance of the French group Cie Retouramont in the back yard of the Archaeology Museum, where acrobats hovered on rope straps and offered a visual poetry. The seventh episode, in which the dynamics of a daily newspaper was discussed, impressed with rapid rotation of the dancers.

variety of performances

Special features were not only in the performances, but also in the variety of dance companies that participated in this festival. From the British Company Chameleon, which staged an urgent, interactive dialogue with the audience on the Marx bust, to the French group Cie Ex Nihilo, which staged a rousing choreography for table disputes at the episode around Bloom's lunch break-the variety was great. The joint performance of the “Irrfelsen” episode by Czech dancers and French circus artists also focused on the fantastic cooperation of international artists. chemnitz2025.de informs that ...

Special choreographies of dance companies from different countries were developed for the event. Among the participants were found as renowned groups as the Dutch Panama Pictures and the Lithuanian Nuepiko Dance Company. Chemnitz students were also involved in the projects, which shows how closely local culture and international art are interwoven here. The world premiere this year of the Capital of Culture is also a sign that Chemnitz attracts art lovers from near and far.

James Joyce and his influences

The inspiration for this impressive dance trip clearly comes from James Joyce's literary work "Ulysses", which is considered a monument to Dublin. Joyce, born in 1882, has created a literary foundation with his life in writing and especially with this novel, which has to be met in many artistic forms of expression to this day. If you want to learn more about the big writer, you will find what you are looking for in James Joyce Center in Dublin. There you can find out about your life and work on three floors, visit interactive exhibitions and purchase works in your bookstore.

With a moving performance that immerses deep into the urbanity of the "Bloomsday", Chemnitz has proven that dance and literature can be woven in a beautiful way. The response of the audience was consistently positive, and the city once again impressively demonstrated that it is a cultural center of European format.