Palestinian Dreaming: Resistance and Joy
by GIA KOURLAS for the New York Times

"People think of us as being in a box," said Omar Barghouti, who is the company's dance trainer and one of its choreographers as well as the tour's artistic director, "but Palestinian dance isn't just about one form."

The company, formed in 1979 to preserve Palestinian culture, was not always as revered as it is today. In its beginnings, occupation authorities viewed El-Funoun negatively. "We were persecuted in many ways," Mr. Barghouti recalled.

published: December 2, 2005