Full of drama, philosophizing, and techniques from ballet and modern dance, contemporary dance has become wildly popular in Palestine. In fact, there is now an annual contemporary dance festival in Ramallah, Palestine.
Organized by Sareyyet-First Ramallah Group, the Ramallah Contemporary Dance Festival was first held in 2006. The annual celebrations have been jointly organized with the Masahat Contemporary Dance Network, which in addition to First Ramallah Group includes Maqamat Dance Theater – Lebanon; Tanween Dance Theatre – Syria; and The National Center for Culture and Performing Arts – Jordan since 2007.
The Festival, which targets the Palestinian public, “aims at promoting dialogue and cultural exchange between the Palestinian people and the peoples of the world.” Performances are given by reputable groups from a variety of countries, including the UK and Spain.
The Sareyyet Ramallah Troupe for Music and Dance is a Palestinian artistic troupe working in the field of music and dance. To see them perform “Sandwishet Labaneh (Yogurt Sandwiches),” please visit: http://www.foundmovements.com/post/7067758380
Light-hearted in title, this contemporary dance deals with war and humanity. The Troupe has described the dance “. . . humanity is the only victim. Images become a mere cosmetic tool for the lenses. Searching for meaningless merchandise among international aid useless packages, Men and women are asked to be action figures. White phosphorous is our new white Christmas.”
To view performance photos from the 2011 Festival, please go to: http://www.facebook.com/RamallahCDF#!/media/set/?set=a.104559639625601.10324.103440929737472
