In 1996, El-Funoun’s Artistic Committee set out to produce another new work, titled: “Zaghareed”. Surprisingly enough, the theme chosen for this production was a folklore-inspired one. This was not done to submit to popular pressure to guard the “purity” of our folklore, but quite the opposite, to free the riches of our folklore from monotony, ‘museamness’, and literal projections, presenting it in new light.
Moreover, the key impetus behind this production came from the Troupe’s belief that conventional presentations of Palestinian folklore were not only artistically simplistic, but also incapable of attracting the large younger audiences. As a result, the youth were increasingly shunning Palestinian music and dance, feeling a sense of alienation from their own heritage. Recognizing its role in preserving and developing Palestinian folklore, El-Funoun decided to present a new folklore-based production that would impress and motivate the young, the older, the women, the men and even the children.
It was decided that the Palestinian wedding, one of the richest icons in Palestinian heritage, would be the principal working ground for the production. Many traditional wedding tunes from various parts of Palestine (from Acre, Safad, Jerusalem, Ramallah and the Negev) were selected, reorchestrated, reinterpretted and choreographed. The outcome was an artistic work that combined authenticity with originality, traditional raw material with more modernistic dance components, and finally a very Palestinian theme with attributes that carry a universal appeal.
"Haifa, Beirut & Beyond", 2003
“Talla Wara Talla” (Tableaus),1994
“Marj Ibn 'Amer”(The Plains of Ibn 'Amer),1989
“Afrah Filastiniyah” (Palestinian Festivities),1987
“Mish’al” (Lantern),1986
“Wadi a-Tuffah” (The Valley of Apples), 1984
“Folkloric Scenes”, 1982
