Egypt expects IMF's combined fifth, sixth review completion by October – minister    Gold prices edge higher on July 16th    Egypt stocks hit record highs in 2025 as reforms fuel rally: Cabinet    Egypt condemns Israeli strikes on Lebanon, Syria    Egypt signs strategic agreements to attract global investment in gold, mineral exploration    Egypt launches first national workshop on food systems, climate action with UN, global partners    Al-Sisi reviews Egypt's food security, strategic commodity reserves    Syria says it will defend its territory after Israeli strikes in Suwayda    Egypt urges EU support for Gaza ceasefire, reconstruction at Brussels talks    Pakistan names Qatari royal as brand ambassador after 'Killer Mountain' climb    Health Ministry denies claims of meningitis-related deaths among siblings    Egypt's Health Min. discusses drug localisation with Sandoz    Egypt, Mexico explore joint action on environment, sustainability    Egypt, Mexico discuss environmental cooperation, combating desertification    Needle-spiking attacks in France prompt government warning, public fear    Foreign, housing ministers discuss Egypt's role in African development push    Korea Culture Week in Egypt to blend K-Pop with traditional arts    Egypt, France FMs review Gaza ceasefire efforts, reconstruction    CIB finances Giza Pyramids Sound and Light Show redevelopment with EGP 963m loan    Egypt's PM urges BRICS to prioritise peace    Greco-Roman tombs with hieroglyphic inscriptions discovered in Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt's GAH, Spain's Konecta discuss digital health partnership    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    Egypt's Democratic Generation Party Evaluates 84 Candidates Ahead of Parliamentary Vote    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Cabinet approves establishment of national medical tourism council to boost healthcare sector    Egypt's PM follows up on Julius Nyerere dam project in Tanzania    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



El-Funoun brings down the (Cairo Opera) House
Published in Daily News Egypt on 03 - 09 - 2009

Palestine's premier dance troupe, El-Funoun, gave Cairo a taste of Palestinian folklore Monday evening at the Cairo Opera House.
The performance, entitled "Images Remembered, was organized by the Palestinian Embassy as part of the Cairo Opera House's "Ramadan Nights program.
The show was well attended by dignitaries from the local community including Nabil Amer, the Palestinian ambassador to Egypt, Egyptian celebrity couple Najlaa Fathy and Hamdy Kandil, and the Lebanese ambassador to Egypt, Khaled Ziada.
El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe was established in 1979 by group of artists looking to preserve and express Palestinian cultural heritage through performance art.
The group is widely recognized as the cultural entity that has played the most significant role in reviving and reinvigorating Palestinian dance and music folklore in spite of systematic Israeli attempts to undermine Palestinian culture.
Since its inception, El-Funoun has aimed at expressing the spirit of Arab-Palestinian folklore and contemporary culture through unique combinations of traditional and stylized dance and music.
The group was the subject of a 2006 documentary, "Emotional Rescue, by German director Helena Waldmann, which was honored at the Al Jazeera film festival.
Currently, the non-profit troupe consists of over 100 volunteer dancers, singers, musicians and support personnel.
Ambassador Nabil Amer introduced the show, speaking of Jerusalem's role as capital of Arab culture for 2009 and relating the importance of Palestine's capital to the central role of Cairo as a gathering place for Arab artists and writers through the years.
As the performance began, the packed hall was captivated by El-Funoun's artistic take on Palestine's successive oppression under three different occupiers: the Ottomans, the British and the Israelis.
The performance travels into the Palestinian collective memory, portraying symbolic and important recurrent images from the Ottoman and British colonial times as well as from the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestine.
Each tableau combined El-Funoun's signature modernist touch with classic themes and steps from dabka, Palestine's traditional dance.
The troupe's moves were accompanied by an eclectic soundtrack that incorporated everything from Egyptian percussion to haunting a cappella chanting to Palestinian folk classics.
Between each section, edgy graphics and shrill announcements of curfew signaled the transition from one occupier to the next, as the audience saw a single soldier hand over power to the incoming occupier.
The themes covered in the performance ranged from scenes of everyday life to powerful portrayals of resistance, all underscored by the dynamic energy of the troupe's skilled dancers.
The show's deft melding of interpretive all-female numbers with traditional scenes of agricultural work and martyrdom gave the audience a powerful sense of the continuity of Palestinian oppression over successive generations, even as it invigorated viewers with a sense of hope for a different future.
Following the finale, which combined portions from a number of traditional Palestinian songs with spirited dabka steps, the audience was elated.
Members of the local Palestinian dance troupe, El-Falluja, gave an impromptu performance in the lobby as the audience enjoyed Palestinian refreshments.
"The show was amazing; as a dabka dancer and a Palestinian I'm proud to see a group that has put so much effort into preserving our culture and making sure that the world sees who we are as a people beyond the conflict, said Hasan Bseiso, a Palestinian student who was raised in Egypt.
For Palestinians the world over, having the spotlight on the best of their culture is a welcome change from the constant diet of political disappointment. It provides an accessible outlet for resistance against cultural domination during a period where a political solution seems less and less attainable.
For their part, the El-Funoun troupe will continue their resistance through performances around the world, beginning with a show in Denmark, scheduled for the end of the month.


Clic here to read the story from its source.