Fascinated is a dance music performance, based on a light-hearted, soap-like story about Love and the choices everyone has to make in it sooner or later.
Konstanze, a young Western girl, is kidnapped by a sheik. Her young inexperienced boyfriend sets out on a journey to free her. In the harem, however, Konstanze is not unaffected by the strength of that experienced and powerful man. Ultimately, she has to choose between these two men and worlds.
This story has been translated to now: a young Turkish girl is married off and starts fantasizing about an unknown, exciting man.

Underlying issue in the performance Fascinated is the question: Is there such a thing as a pure, emotional, romantic feeling of love, or is there always a rational factor involved? In other words: Is there actually a clear difference between an Eastern arranged marriage and the choice of a Western person for a life partner?

To gain more clarity about partner choice and true love, a series of interviews was conducted with young and old Western and Eastern people in the Amsterdam boroughs of De Baarsjes and Bos en Lommer. These intimate and sometimes endearing stories have been incorporated into the performance to create space and to place different propositions next to each other. This is how a collage-like program was created.

The different stories about the customs and cultures surrounding love and finding a life partner open a dialogue. No decision was taken or a final judgment was reached for Chained. In Fascinated and in this program booklet, it is about personal stories, which may not fit in with your own image, but still affect them.

In order to further develop the theme of Chained, a dialogue was held on the issue of love, with people from different and distinct backgrounds (oriental, western, old and young) from De Baarsjes and Bos en Lommer. From people who married in the Netherlands in the 1950s, when religion also had a decisive influence on the morals of the population, to people here and now, with an Arab background. Such as the woman from rural Morocco who is married off at a young age to a Muslim from Amsterdam. Or the Dutch girl who flirts with the idea of ​​converting to Islam, wondering how she can be married off.

What are the memories and the rituals? How did they find their partner? Was it love at first sight? What is love after 40 years of marriage? And also for the Dutch: Was there pressure from outside to choose a particular partner?

The reactions are as diverse as they can be found in reality.

The dance music performance Chained is a timeless story about love. The young Turkish / Dutch Konstanze is married off. Not knowing what lies ahead, she fantasizes about the powerful old sheik. With its harem, Bassa is very attractive and repellent to her at the same time. The unknown fascinates Konstanze more than her secret boyfriend in the Netherlands, who is far too young and inexperienced. Which of the two worlds and men will she choose?

Choreographer / director Susanne Marx was inspired by the opera Die Entführung aus dem Serail by W.A. Mozart. Marx has surprisingly translated the timeless love story about the kidnapping of a young Western girl to an Eastern harem into the present.

In the performance Chained, old and young meet and the two cultures of Oriental opera and urban culture. The Sheikh Bassa is danced by retired top dancer of the National Ballet Francis Sincerretti. In addition to two young street dancers, rap star Rosa Ana makes her appearance.
The mix of classical and urban dance, opera and hip hop, and changes in decor and character, make Chained a contemporary and varied performance.