Dance Review
Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Al Zaytouna Dabke Group present
Ila Haifa
Director: Ahmed Masoud Co-director: Mouhammed Choukeir Oud player: Nizar Issa Principal singer: Mohammed Diab Darbucka player: Said Qassem
Greenwood Theatre
8 to 10 May, 2008
A review by Maddy Ryle for EXTRA! EXTRA!
2008 is a significant year for Palestinians and Israelis. It is the 60th anniversary of Israel’s creation, and indeed, on returning from the theatre last night, there was a report on the news of the celebrations there (under heightened security, naturally). For Palestinians everywhere, though, they are mourning six decades since what they refer to as the ‘Nakba’, or catastrophe, which created today’s Palestinian diaspora, and probably the world’s longest-running refugee crisis. Al Zaytouna is a UK-based Dabke group, the majority of whose members have Palestinian or Arab heritage. Dabke is a traditional dance which is performed across the Arab world, and which has come to have a special place in the Palestinian resistance. An extremely energetic, social and expressive artform, traditionally performed by all members of the community at weddings and other celebrations, it has long been used to tell stories. To its traditional, pastoral tales of romance and harvest have been added, in modern times, powerful and culturally important narratives which describe the plight of a people uprooted from the land they regard as home. Dabke, always performed in a group and often holding hands, is a way for Palestinians everywhere to feel connected to a culture and heritage from which many are physically separated. In Ila Haifa, Al Zaytouna have created a piece which tries to describe the events of 1948 from a Palestinian perspective, and which also conveys the importance of retaining cultural traditions for the sake of one’s identity. The piece is based on a short story by the famous Palestinian writer Ghassan Kanafani and tells the tale of Saïd and Saffiye, Haifa residents who were expelled in 1948 and forced to leave their infant daughter behind; their home and their daughter are subsequently taken over by an Israeli woman. Years later, unable to happily integrate in the London to which they have moved, Saïd and Saffiye return to Haifa, through the checkpoints, and are welcomed into their old home by the same Israeli woman and prepare to meet their long-lost daughter. There is no doubting the passion and commitment which the whole ensemble brings to Ila Haifa; it is clear that the tale they are telling is one very close to their hearts. The piece was assembled by the cast themselves, who were divided into small groups to compose the various scenes, with the brief of ‘bringing Palestine and the Palestinian story to life through Dabke, and to revitalise Dabke itself through the introduction and interplay of different dance influences and traditions’. This brief has been successfully realised: the dancers are magnificent in their enthusiasm, and the contrast of joy and devastation which the different dance pieces convey is very moving. Near the start, in a Palestinian village before the events of 1948, we see six young women, dressed in a dazzling array of flowing, coloured costumes, perform a gorgeous, joyous dance which represents the innocence and simplicity of pastoral life. The first act then ends with an extremely effective piece of choreography in which Israeli soldiers stamp out staccato Dabke rhythms, reminiscent of gunfire, with their feet as the Palestinians on the stage are gradually reduced to lying down, heads hung, futilely repeating the same rhythms with the palms of their hands. There are other powerful, well-choreographed scenes, such as when Saïd dances Dabke to the Kinks’ ‘You Really Got Me’ in London, or when the spirit of the Intifada is represented by Palestinians throwing stones, their passion for resistance captured in the changed tempo of the music. A bewildering array of amazing costume changes makes the production even more of a visual feast. Nizar Issa on the oud, the traditional Arab stringed instrument which epitomises the sound of the Middle East, and Mohamed Diab, a highly-regarded Palestinian singer with an incredible voice, also do a great job (barring some technical problems with Issa’s microphone) of bringing the music to life – much of it traditional folk or resistance songs, but some pieces composed especially for this production. What, unfortunately, doesn’t work, is the dialogue scenes which connect the dance pieces. There are several crucial scenes in which Saïd and Saffiya have to act, and it seems no-one gave them any training, because some of these moments really painful to watch. The acting is wooden and they have no projection in their voices, so the pain and despair which they are supposed to be feeling (and which is so well caught in the dancing) is entirely dissipated in these interactions. For an Arabic speaking audience who can understand the lyrics of the songs, these scenes would perhaps be unnecessary. But given that Al Zaytouna have deliberately set out to bring this story to a British audience, it is a real shame they didn’t put more effort into making sure these scenes, which explain the narrative of the play, weren’t also up to standard. The closing scene of the production, in which the couple finally meet their daughter, has none of the power required given the gravity of the moment. For bringing the energy and significance of Dabke to a new audience, however, Ila Haifa must be commended, especially considering they are all volunteers. When they are dancing instead of talking, this is an exhilarating and moving performance to watch, and it certainly does bring home the Palestinian struggle – to retain their cultural heritage as a way of keeping hope alive.
Thurs – Sat. 7:30 pm
8, 9, 10 May Greenwood Theatre, Weston Street, London SE1 3RA More information on Al Zaytouna can be found on www.alzaytouna.org
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