Community Dance Palestine

Home , All for Peace

i can move community dance palestine

NARRATIVE REPORT: Feb. 2012 - Aug. 2013

1 Imprint:

Published by: Youth, Art & Levante (YANTE)

AUSTRIA Stumpergasse 57/58, 1060 Vienna Mobile: +43 (0) 676 3193323 Tel/Fax: +43 (0) 1 9717946

PALESTINE 16. Al-jami’a Street, 72100 Ramallah Mobile: +972 (0) 592 123 218 / +972 (0) 592 123 216

E-MAIL & WEB [email protected] www.yante-icanmove.org

Editor: Dylan Collins

Photos: YANTE Premiere pictures: Dylan Collins & Riyad Hamad

Table of contnet

1. Preface 1

2. YANTE 2 3. I CAN MOVE 4 P6. Pilot P7. Conclusions drawn from the pilot for the launch of the I CAN MOVE ToT programme P9. Structure of ToT 4. ToT Implementation 14 P15. Semester 1 P30. Semester 2 P42. Semester 3 P56. Participating Trainees

5. OutReach 58 P60. Performance - Street-Children/Child- Labourers P77. Work in Schools & Community Classes P78. Dance Library at Goethe Institute. P80. Exhibition: Smell the yasmine and taste the olives. P80. Research by the Interuniversity Institute of Social Development and Peace, Spain

6. Media Coverage 82

7. Conference & 86 Symposiuyms & Peize Nominations 8. Team Yante 90 9. Partners & 94 Supporters

Coming soon 98 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013

15 committed dance trainees in our training programme. 450 children participating in our dance sessions. 200 children on stage performing Stravinsky’s ‘Rite of Spring’, one of every four is a child-laborer. An awareness campaign on the conditions of street- children. Over 50 women engaged in the villages of Budros and Qibya. 12 intensive modules of 720 teaching hours. More than 320 hours of dance technique classes. 7 public showings, 2 of which incorporating 4 local elementary schools. Around 50 partnerships and support relationships developed. Numerous conference participations and prize nominations.

6 YANTE . youth, art & levante 1. PREFACE

These few lines and the many coming pages are and psychological support. I would also like an attempt to encompass our journey over the to thank the personnel of the civil institutions, past 18 months. Each one of our 15 trainees, each dancers, choreographers, volunteers and woman, each child and supporter has their own supporters: Margit Schmidt, Roswitha Dienstl, Issa story and impressions of this shared experience, Kassis, Mags Byrne, Lisei Caspers, Angela Zimmer, and we – the team of I CAN MOVE – of them. It Asmahan Thabet and particularly, my parents and has certainly been an intense journey full of siblings Tayseer Arouri, Amal Ghadban, Faris and dedication, inspiration, and development to every Ghassan for the unconditional logistical and moral party involved. Achievements were overwhelming support. to ourselves, our participants, and I believe equally to our supporters and partners. When extending thanks we cannot forget the ones who reached into themselves with every difficulty On this note, I stand full of gratitude to the many we experienced, found strength, and brought people who believed in the potential of the I the project forward. Here I would like to thank CAN MOVE programme. I would like to extend the programme instructors for their empathy, my gratitude to the Austrian Development dedication and patience, and equally the I CAN Cooperation that made this possible for all of MOVE team for their valuable work and creativity. us. I would also like to thank the Euromed Youth Likewise, many thanks to the lighting designer Unit- Palestine, the Arab Fund for Arts and Pete Ayres and light and stage technician Attallah Culture (AFAC), the Qattan Foundation, British Tarazi for your spirit and the art you delivered. Council, Padico Holding, Ramallah Municipality, the Government of Styria, the Palestine Housing Last but not least I would like to thank Christine and Mortgage Corporation, OFFTEC, the Verein Rauch for pointing out the light every time it Internationales Jugendtanztheater Duisburg, seemed dark, Lina Höhne for her unyielding and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, dedication and expanding embrace, and my Arts & Culture for their generous support. I would sister and friend Natasha Aruri for the unyielding also like to thank the Birzeit University Housing support, both morally and technically. Cooperative, Ramallah Youth Club, Goethe Institute, the Representative Office of the Federal Each and every one of you has made a significant Republic of Germany in Ramallah, Ramallah contribution to the success of this programme. Cultural Palace, the Youth Institution for Young This success was recognized by various prize Boys and Girls Tammoun, Al-Mustaqbal schools, nominations and fellowships such as the King the Arab Evangelical Episcopal School, Friends Abdullah II Award for Youth Innovation and Schools, Total Communication School Palestine Achievements, and the United Nations Alliance Red Crescent Society, the Episcopal Technological of Civilizations – “Living Together Peacefully in and Vocational training center, Dar Al-Tifl Al- Arabi a Diverse World” prize. We have accomplished School, the Circus School and many others for their theses achievements with your support and the interest, assistance, and for having opened their perseverance of our beneficiaries. Those prizes doors for us over weeks of training, rehearsals, and are but a thank you to every one of you. Looking performances. forward to the next segment of this fulfilling journey. I would especially like to thank my mentors and companions for the extensive conversations, Nadia Arouri constructive debates, and the mental, physical Project Director

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2. YANTE YOUTH, ART AND LEVANTE

2 YANTE . youth, art & levante Legal Entity: AUSTRIA As a legal entity and organizer of the project, the Stumpergasse 57/58, 1060 Vienna non-profit association YANTE – Youth, Art and Mobile: +43 (0) 676 3193323 Levante – was founded and registered in June Tel/Fax: +43 (0) 1 9717946 2010. The goals of the non-profit association are: PALESTINE • To use and promote Art as a possibility to 16. Al-jami’a Street, 72100 Ramallah create open meeting places for a vivid cultural Mobile: +972 (0) 592 123 218 / exchange and an intercultural dialogue. +972 (0) 592 123 216

• To plan and implement intercultural Art projects E-MAIL & WEB for young people. [email protected] www.yante-icanmove.org • To give access and support to the Artistic education of children living in conflict zones and/or economically weak environments.

MISSION: Our mission is to strengthen society as a whole through the essential foothold of inclusive art projects for all ages with a specific focus on children and youth. This will be achieved by empowering the participants as individuals to make the difference in their own lives, as well as their communities. Participants will identify with the principle that all goals can be achieved when worked on diligently. Palestine is a society that has been forced back into its self, reducing the availability of oppotunities dor indivisuals, communities and societies, as well as stunting their ability to grow and expand. Lack of opportunities builds frustrations that lead to violence and aggressive behaviour due to sadness and disempowerment – keeping in mind the humiliation caused by the occupation; ergo, our aim is to encourage participants to utilize art as an instrument to express one’s self, therefore, imparting each participant with the power to convey his or her viewpoint non-violently.

VISION: Our vision is to see people of all ages and social parameters participating in various art projects, within and for communities, around the globe. Participants express themselves while believing that the uniqueness of an individual lays in the diversity of the whole, coming to the consensus that a rich culture is one nourished by all social strata.

3 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013 3. i can move

4 YANTE . youth, art & levante INTRODUCTION : I CAN MOVE community dance palestine

I CAN MOVE is a programme aiming at creating high artistic levels with various target groups: a Community Dance movement in Palestine as like a.o. Pupils, street-children, the displaced, the a tool for addressing specific social development elderly, and those differently abled. obstacles, such as inequality, exclusion, We believe Community Dance cultivates self- fragmentation, and trauma (Post Traumatic- esteem within the individuals. It offers the Stress-Disorder.) The project seeks to break participants a social, physical, emotional, cognitive stereotypes and enable individuals from different and intellectual experience and conveys values social strata to communicate across the fault such as commitment, respect, passion and line of their differences. Through this process we particularly empathy. seek social empowerment of the marginalized by With mutual appreciation, the participants at means of providing the hundreds of participants Yante encounter each other eye to eye. Yante with the tools for self-expression, effectively strives to connect cultural initiatives and foster raising their self-esteem and body awareness. inclusive policies. Yante’s inclusiveness means any Medical evidence shows that by strengthening individual with an interest can become an active 1) Physical, 2) Emotional, 3) Social and 4) Mental member. resiliency, an individual is able to avoid suffering Accordingly Yante dedicates itself to new artistic from Stress Disorders derived from a Traumatic initiatives, helping peoples fulfill their aspirations. experience and can rather use the experience as Our mission is to strengthen society as a whole a spring board to achieve self-development, i.e. through the essential foothold of inclusive art transforming “Post Traumatic Stress” into “Post projects for all ages with a special focus on children Traumatic Growth”. [Tedeshi & Calhoun, 2004] and youth. This is achieved by empowering the participants as individuals to make the difference This programme is based on know-how developed in their own lives, as well as, their communities. in various international experiences, utilizes a wide Participants express themselves while believing international network of professionals, and has its that the uniqueness of an individual lays in the foundation in local settings and expertise. I CAN diversity of the whole. Participants are able to MOVE does not seek to re-invent the wheel in identify with the principle that all goals can be the Palestinian dance scene, but rather, to build achieved when worked on diligently. bridges between existing initiatives on one hand, and on the other enhance their tools towards addressing pressing social issues. On a parallel level, I CAN MOVE provides a “More than 30 years ago, I co-founded unique opportunity for the Palestinian cultural El-funoun for we felt an urge and need to scene to re-define itself; this programme create a venue to express ourselves, a place is an open invitation and platform for local for our heritage. Later we found the Popular contributions towards re-orienting the focus Arts centre to expand our work even more. onto ‘Palestine the society’, as the best mirror and In the 1990s I [co-founded] the National advocate of the Palestinian cause. It is a reflection Conservatory of Music because we realised of a society’s strength in facing and tackling its how much we needed our own music to dance points of weakness. to. However, during the past couple of years we have been holding one meeting after the Yante is focusing on establishing an independent other, asking ourselves where to next? But no Palestinian Community Dance movement, answers. When I saw the premier [of I CAN stemming from the belief that every person MOVE-EXILE 2011] I thought to myself, this can dance.Throughout the four-year training is exactly where it needs to go next!” programme, individuals with and without dance experience have the opportunity to train with Mohammed Yacoub professional Dancers and Choreographers, towards becoming Community Dance trainers themselves. The trainings are free of charge. Within the framework of instruction, the trainees are encouraged to develop dance projects on

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3.1 PILOT

Phase I: Train the trainer disfavored backgrounds in which they had never had any type of arts, dance or music class. 10% 20 young Palestinian trainees underwent an of the participants were privileged children intensive one week training between the 13th attending private dancing classes at various and the 19th of July. The experienced trainer and cultural organisations. choreographer, Mags Byrne, alongside Natalie Fend and Nadia Arouri, ran the course. They focused on dance as a social tool, its significance “Putting on a performance project of this size is in character and physical formation of children, a major achievement for a new company working educational responsibility, how to select content, with a small team of people.” Mags Byrne how to choreograph, planning and production in addition to providing numerous guiding Audience publications. The number of spectators at all four performances Mags Byrne concluded in 2011, “I think the training in August (Ramallah on the 23rd, Jerusalem on course was delivered successfully. At the end of the 25th, Zababdeh on the 27th, and Bethlehem such it was possible to identify people who I believe on the 28th) was estimated to be 3000 persons have the potential to continue to the next stage of altogether. It is worth mentioning that a mere training.” few were so taken by the premier that they attended one or even two of the performances that followed. Phase II: EXILE performance

A high profile community dance performance for underprivileged Palestinian children, Muslim and Christian, was the product of over 30 days of “Indeed, we and the whole Palestinian society intensive daily training during the fasting month needs this kind of undertaking. As long as we of Ramadan. Subsequently, the performance possess all this beauty, then we have to expend toured the West Bank, performing free of moments of joy and happiness that teach us and charge and paving the way for the creation of provides us with knowledge in affirmation of our a local community dance movement led by opinions and stances not only those concerned the Palestinian dancers and teachers, who - with the Palestinian national struggle, rather simultaneously with the children - received initial those concerned with human values which training in Community Dance on the highest we believe and commit ourselves to.” Naseef artistic and pedagogical levels. Mu‘alem director of the Palestinian Center for Peace and Democracy 100 – 130 children (aged 6 - 18) worked daily for a span of 5 weeks (July 20th to August 23rd 2011) with internationally renowned artists like “Let me start by congratulating you on your Royston Maldoom and Mags Byrne. Some local efforts and achievements. I hope your devotion dancers of the Popular Arts Center and Birzeit to the service of the Palestinian people persists, University, among others, who have attended the especially to young Palestinians, of whom a lot is “Train the Trainer” course, also assisted them. The demanded and little given. I personally admired local dancers had the chance to practice their the performance’s symbolic content and the attained knowledge under the mentorship of age-group that performed it. All was positively the world’s best and most innovative community utilised to re-educate young people, for I believe dance artists and facilitators. that today’s young generations suffer from a cultural-identity crises, where they are informed The rehearsals resulted in a dance performance and educated in many respects and are ignorant titled “Exile” set to the music of “Harmonielehre” in those respects important to their lives.” Amin [Harmonics], by the composer John Adams. The Innabi, Social Affairs Ministry Director General. performance toured the West Bank performing in Jerusalem, Ramallah, Zababdeh and Bethlehem between the 23rd and 28th of August free of charge. 90% of the children were chosen from

6 YANTE . youth, art & levante 3.2 Conclusions drawn from the pilot for the launch of the I CAN MOVE programme

As is the case in all pilot projects, the artistic and organisational teams strode carefully with open sensors through each day researching for signs and effects. The plans had to be constantly changed and adapted, even before the project kicked off. Here are some of the conclusions drawn by the team, based on which the needs of the society were identified and the structure of the Training of Trainers programme (TOT) launched in February 2012 - was defined. 1. Violence: The children were not strangers to Verbal and Physical violence. Not only were they violent amongst each other and towards the team, but public property was a common target upon which to discharge violence. 2. Feelings of otherness and a lack of sense of ownership and belonging: At the outset of the project the children generally did not handle the facilities of Birzeit University with care, in some cases vandalism was observed. 3. Exclusion and Social Fragmentation: Unexpected were the problems that arose on the basis of religion at the outset of rehearsals. Christian families objected to their children intermingling with Muslim children. Some Christian parents forced their children to leave the project in the beginning of week two. 4. Tightening Moral Compass: The team had often to deal with dishonesty, and inconsistencies on the side of the children just as much the parents. Additionally two attempts of stealing items from the Birzeit University were disclosed by the team. 5. Trauma: The team also observed symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. “Post traumatic stress disorder, it means they pie in their pans when they are 11, it means they cannot concentrate, they cannot deal with each other without violence.” Juliano Mer Khamis “I CAN MOVE is The most difficult project I’ve ever done in my life. [...] there is a community in the West Bank that is incredibly angry. [...] We were dealing with teenagers who were coiled. They are systematically put down on a daily basis by the Israel controlling the space around them. The humiliation is desperate. What this initiative did was open up an avenue of physical and mental release. There was fighting between groups from four different

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[geographic] areas, and different religions. But that wasn’t the biggest problem. [...] On the day of the first performance we had a near-riot in the theatre. We were close to calling the police and just saying we can’t go on, we can’t physically keep the younger elements of this cast safe.[...] [but when the performances started, they were] extraordinary, absolutely fantastic, [This experience] has released huge amounts of stress from these young people.” Mags Byrne In addition to the above the team observed that parents as well as children did not know what to expect from the project, which made it difficult for the parents to understand the importance of commitment and discipline for the success of the work. A similar observation was made during phase I of the pilot: Training the Trainers: In some cases, there was a misinterpretation of the target age-group for the training of trainers’ session. Very young people were chosen by the dancing groups as their representatives. This might have been due to (1) the lack of similar experiences in the region that could have helped the targeted organizations to visualize and understand community dance. It might have also been due to (2) economic difficulties, where older participants could not commit to a long-term TOT program due to employment engagements. Accordingly a call for trainees was sent to as many cultural institutions around the West Bank as possible. 20 community dance trainers started the program with I CAN MOVE community dance palestine in February 2012. The participants (2 of which are deaf and dumb) are either free- lancers or are members of the following dance groups (alphabatically): 1) Birzeit University, 2) El- Funoun, 3) Orient and Dance Theatre, 4) Popular Arts Centre, 5) Ramallah Youth Club, 6) Tagharid, 7) Wishah

8 YANTE . youth, art & levante 8 3.3 Structure of ToT

A. Training of Trainers Programme (ToT) participants learn the theory, improve their dance and choreography skills, and practice Based on the evaluation of the 2011 pilot then on the ground through co-producing project a comprehensive training program for 4-6 pieces of community dance along side the Palestinian community dance trainees has the international experts in the field. been subsequently inaugurated. I CAN MOVE community dance palestine is designed along the In line with the above, I CAN MOVE community practice guidelines communicated by community dance project is composed of 3 building blocks dance experts and former international that are repeated in each semester, in varying experiences. In addition, the design takes into frequencies: consideration information collected through the pilot program of I CAN MOVE in 2011. Lastly, [Block 1] Dance Technique: Classes are held 4 the program is designed based on the specific – 5 times weekly. The participants are introduced needs of the Palestinian case. It is composed of to the various modern and contemporary dance two parallel and interconnected tracks: 1. the techniques, such as: Limon, Graham, Cunningham, Training of Trainers Programme (ToT), and 2. and Chladek. Participants also receive classes periodic community dance performances whose in modern ballet and complimentary somatic topics and targets are decided upon during the practices such as Yoga, Pilates, and Feldenkrais, run of the project depending on the input from Body Mind Centering, a.o. the community. These courses are given by recruited visiting The programme was initially planned for 3 years, international dancers, who work with the however it was expanded to four by the end of participants for a period of 5-8 consecutive year 1. Each year is divided into 2 semesters. This weeks, depending on the academic plan and time structure was decided upon in order to: availability. By such, the participants are gradually exposed to different forms of modern dance • Give a clear and coherent structure to the and contemporary dance techniques. Given the program, by which the participants are able time frame the participants are able to develop to plan their time as well as connect the a personal relationship with the visiting artists different capacity building blocks, whether and hence are able to expand their network, in technically or theoretically. addition to having enough time to fully absorb • Expand the learning time on a period that and physically practice the new skills. is adequate for the absorption of new information and skills, including time to reflect, [Block 2] Intensive Modules: Every 6 weeks an question, and exercise. intensive 10 - day module is held, 3-5 times per • Provide a service and an atmosphere of semester. Content covers Pedagogy, Anatomy, the positive aspects that assimilate to those Non-Violent Communication, Cultural Studies, of professional dance schools. This would Psychology, Anthropology, and dance teaching maximize the value of the training for the skills for special-requirement target-groups, future record of the participants. namely: 1) youth, 2) handicapped, 3) elderly, 4) and • Be able to cover all the necessary mixed groups. The taught skills include adequate components for the practice, where the class planning and teachers’ responsibilities. participants receive 6 semesters of training Intensive-classes are also taught by recruited in dance technique and choreography, as well specialized visiting international artists as well as as 6 pivotal domains for the cultural work, local professionals. They serve as connectors for hence elevating their level of production. the skills learned in the Dance Technique classes, Each semester corresponds to a topic of as well as additional case-specific skills, whether necessary training, and these are: 1. Group technical or soft skills. In addition to expanding Establishment, 2. Communication, 3. Pedagogy their network, through these classes participants and Psychology, 4. Choreography and Dance get to understand the wider frame of the cultural History, 5. Anthropology and Cultural Studies, field, such as modes of social engagement, analysis, 6. Management and Fundraising. identification and mediation towards art-work • Enable the provision of a full-scale exercising that is directly connected to its social surrounding of the acquired knowledge, by which the - that being the core of community dance. Those Modules allow participants to regularly

9 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013 practice working under pressure, allocating and In addition, the performances are the medium utilizing scarce resources, and maximizing and through which the local dance heritage is bring into practice the different skills they have translated, developed, and transmitted to other acquired, all of which are combined into the aim countries and cultures. One after the other they of achieving a particular output, whether practical, constitute a repertoire, that in itself is a narration theoretical, or both. of the social topics that concern Palestinians as a community, and thus, address social inequalities [Block 3] Practice via Performance: Every and prejudices, and the bottom-up fighting 8 months, a large-scale community dance of social marginalization, fragmentation, and performance is organized targeting a particular otherness. social strata, phenomena, or stereotype. The As a starting point, a set of performance-topics topic is determined according to input from the has been selected. Those themes are to undergo community and the capacity of the team. The research and scrutinized planning, to decide on performances include the participants in the which topic should be implemented, and if so, ToT programme, where they work under the when. Those topics are: directives and in close contact with renowned community dance choreographers. The dancers Street-Children | Handicapped without / are ordinary local people, normally in groups of with Wheelchair | Elderly | Culturally 100-250 persons. Differentiated Youth | Mixed Group The performances give a chance for the organizing team to test the efficiency and effectiveness of B. Why are Performances a parallel the ToT programme, as well as being the space track to the ToT and not a segment of it? for all parties to evaluate the project and level of The last block of the ToT programme - the its contents, on interim amendments. community dance performances - is also Likewise, it is through these performances that considered as an independent track of the the dancers are able to address the pressing social project, since its execution depends on elements divide issues, and contribute to the amelioration different to those of the ToT, such as the availability of the dance practice in Palestine. By working with of a particular set of choreographers, trainers, school children they are influencing the curricula, therapists and assistants, the local setting and by working with the marginalized they are social analysis dependent of the culture and art advocating for their cause and raising awareness, scenes, and finally, the funding possibilities. Hence, and by working in different geographical locations even though they are, interconnected and inter- they are bringing together generations that have dependent to a large extent, in the project design been separated by the fragmenting policies of the the performances are considered as a parallel occupation, as demonstrated by the pilot project: and important track, yet not dependent on the EXILE 2011. progress of the ToT programme. This is due to the fact that the performances can take place and Equally, those performances are the tool by achieve their social goals independent of whether which community dance is established as a strong or not local trainers have achieved excellence in practice, gaining visibility and credibility, and giving community dance choreography, teaching skills the necessary momentum for the participants of and management through their training. However, the ToT programme to take on the leadership it is important to note that the performances of the end-product: a viable and sustainable are pivotal in terms of experience, vocational Palestinian community dance movement. training and practice for the participants of the ToT Programme. for the Planned execution of the calendar programme blocks

Year Year 1 [ 2012 / 2013 ] Year 2 [ 2013 / 2014 ] Year 3 [ 2014 /2015 ] Year 4 [ 2015 /2016 ]

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 Calendar Month

Group Establishment Communication Pedagogy Choreography Psychology History Anthropology & CS Management & Focus Funding

Module week ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Performance ● ● ● ● ● ●

10 YANTE . youth, art & levante Diagram illustrating flow of Activities, how they are mutually-dependent, progressive, and viable

Policy Makers Palestinian Community Dance Movement work on improving policies media is positively influencing... Network of supporting institutions & media & Professionals Publications logistical logistical services & financial & financial features & support support news pieces exposure / about topic I CAN MOVE growth community dance palestine

Training trainers Community addresses of Trainers Dance Program Performances ToT awareness / Society capacity building experience visibility credibility

collective platform + new & participants repetition

graduating will be

working on expanding this open and dancers training for conducted by dissemination of are in contact with, benefiting from, and assume 20 of their dance groups knowledge & higher responsibility levels of involvement of the dancers as part of their programme programme Existing Palestinian Dance & Arts Groups

C. Creating the Palestinian Community a mode of durable cooperation, as the basis for Dance Network the sustainability and viability of the intended Viability through the stakeholders Palestinian community dance movement. This network is transmitted to the participants of the The project aims at creating a Palestinian ToT programme, for them to utilize and expand Community Dance Movement not because it is in their cultural work. As members of different an attractive term, but because it is the heart of dance troups, they learn how to cooperate for the project, without which the project loses its the collective, rather than exclusively focusing on significance. the individual projects. For an intervention to be effective it has to be Since the summer of 2011, the project has viable, continuous, and dynamic with time and succeeded in achieving agreements for changing input. A dance performance is attractive cooperation with institutions from the following and can help observers gain a different perspective sectors (and is working on expanding it to include regarding one or multiple topics, but it will not more): induce a lasting change unless it is progressive, sustainable, and has its foundation in the existing 1. Local Educational Institutions. system - when it works within the local system, 2. Local Dance Groups. and not parallel to it. 3. Local Cultural Institutions. Based on this belief, the organisational team of 4. Local Youth initiatives. I CAN MOVE community dance palestine has 5. Local institutions/Private sector. been working on integrating the project into 6. Public Sector. the existing social, economic and institutional 7. International Art and Community Dance fabrics. The project has identified 8 sectors with Institutions. which it already has and is seeking to establish 8. International Institutions.

Year Year 1 [ 2012 / 2013 ] Year 2 [ 2013 / 2014 ] Year 3 [ 2014 /2015 ] Year 4 [ 2015 /2016 ]

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 Calendar Month

Group Establishment Communication Pedagogy Choreography Psychology History Anthropology & CS Management & Focus Funding

Module week ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Performance ● ● ● ● ● ●

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D. Dissemination of Information & Publications

Given the goals of the project, information sharing and publications are a primary element. Within the course of the ToT programme, visiting trainers are regularly preparing and distributing valuable reading materials, that constitute a foundation for the practice, whether in its technical or managerial aspects. Copies of these materials are kept by the organisation team of the project, with an aim of developing an open library to those interested and/or active in the field. In addition, extracts of these materials will be selected for the purpose of preparing a guiding manual, whether for current or future participants, or for those generally interested. By the end of the project the manual will constitute 6 volumes, each corresponding to one of the semester-topics described earlier: 1. Group Establishment, 2. Communication, 3. Pedagogy and Psychology, 4. Choreography and Dance History, 5. Anthropology and Cultural Studies, 6. Management and Fundraising. Besides the manual, a publication is planned to describe the 4-year experience, and the lessons learned along the road. This end-publication will include a DVD with videos from training sessions, modules, as well as the community dance performances. Preparations of publications is a shared task between the organisation team, the visiting artists, and the participants of the ToT programme.

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ToT 4. Implementation

14 YANTE . youth, art & levante 4.1 Semester 1 semester content & timeline

The first semester of the programme was The third phase was led by Mohan Thomas and launched 5 months after the end of the pilot Maria Lucia Agon Remirez from Tanz Motto project of 2011 (one-week TOT course and the Essen. This first module was an introduction into EXILE performance). Hence the first semester was community dance. This module took the trainees in itself a pilot phase into the 4-year programme. on a journey into what community dance means, giving them teaching tips and allowing them to It was expected that a high turnover of participants dive into their first teaching experience. from the targeted organizations would take place, considering that the programme is The second section of the semester also consisted unprecedented in the region, leaving it impossible of three phases, starting with the Austrian artist, for the participants to visualize and understand Jasmin Hoffer who focused on softening the body what they are getting themselves into, as well of the trainees and raising their physical perception as what the programme and community dance abilities, providing an essential stepping stone for are about. Accordingly, the content of the first understanding the body, human physiology, and semester focused on group establishment. muscolaskeletal systems. The work in this fourth phase paved the way for the Pedagogy and The semester was split into three sections. The first Anatomy modules that followed. was an introductory section to the programme, to contemporary dance and to community art/ The fifth phase was led by the renowned Irish dance practices. The second section focused on dancer, teacher, choreographer and mentor Mags teaching skills and anatomy, while the third section Byrne. She focused on providing the trainees focused on delivering choreographic tools to the with profound teaching techniques and solid class participants. preparation and implementation skills. The module consisted of a theoretic part and a practical The content of the semester was chosen with care implementation conducted in partnership with 4 to provide a smooth entry into the programme. Palestinian Schools. Section one of the semester consisted of three phases, starting with the introductory phase, lead In phase six, Nadia Arouri underlined the trainees by Nadia Arouri, who is a Palestinian and could teaching skills by giving them an introduction into hence build a bridge to the culture and reduce any human Anatomy and physiology, with a focus on feelings of estrangement. To ease this introductory the importance of nutrition. phase on the participants, the artists chosen for the following two phases came from the Pina The third section of the semester consisted of two Bausch school of dance, which is performative phases, starting with the Austrian, Stefanie Sternig, and strong in character, hence in some aspects who worked on basic choreographic tools while close to dabka, the traditional Palestinian dancing. dedicating this phase to the topic of participation, leading to a choreographic intervention on the The second phase was led by Gianna Grünig and streets of Ramallah. Franziska Rölli. It introduced basic structures of Dance Technique classes, and established together The last phase of the semester with the community with the participants the house rules, class rules, dance artist, Josef Eder, reviewed and integrated and group rules of the programme. aspects of teaching skills while providing insightful choreographic tools.

Phase Year 1 [ 2012 / 2013 ]

Semester Semester 1

Calendar month February March April May June July

Focus Group Establishment

Dance Technique Nadia Arouri Gianna Grünig / Franziska Roelli Jasmin Hoffer Stefanie Sternig Stefanie Sternig

Module week Mohen Thomas / Maria Lucia Agon Mags Byrne Nadia Arouri Josef Eder

15 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013 4.1.1 4.1.2 Dance Technique Dance Technique February March/April Nadia Arouri Gianna Grünig & Franziska Roelli

Class description Class description

The programme was launched in February The Swiss artists Gianna Grünig and Franziska 2012. Classes started on 15.02.2013 at the hall Roelli introduced the trainees to the structure of of the Birzeit University Teacher’s Compound a basic dance technique class consisting of floor in Al-Tireh, Ramallah. As an introductory phase, work, technique in standing and improvisation. classes between 15.02.2013 – 05.03.2013 were It was two weeks after their arrival that the taught by Nadia Arouri, the artistic director of the duration of the classes was increased to 120 programme. The aim of this introductory phase minutes instead of 90 minutes. Grünig and Roelli was to: played a pivotal role in introducing the basic rules of a dance class and of the programme 1. re-gather the trainees who participated in as well as supporting the trainees in acclimating the pilot phase after almost 4 months of to these concepts that were mostly new to the break. participants. Pivotal concepts to the success of the programme fell within the line of “A dance 2. recruit new participants from different class is not a dispensable extra curricular social organisations, especially dancing groups and activity, it is a serious class just like math or physics, youth clubs. that you also need to invest in, and prepare for”. The following house rules were introduced in this period: Classes were held 3x per week for a duration of 90 minutes each. The classes introduced • Be on time contemporary dance technique to the participants, with a focus on team building • Do your own warm up before class exercises, and ice breaking dance exercises. Dancers and young people from different cultural • Respect for your fellow dancers and youth organisations were invited to join the programme throughout this phase. Hence, classes • Taking care of the space, especially the were planned as separate, not interdependent dance floor units, in order to allow participants to join at any point and get a full experience to be able to • Keep your hands out of your pockets make an informed decision on whether to join the programme or not. • No chewing gum

Trainee Feedback • Switch off your mobile phones

More than 60 persons joined the programme • Perception of: oneself, the other, and the during this phase. Some came in for a day, others space for a week or two. Out of those 60 participants 20 committed to the programme and attended • Listen and watch constantly regularly. Hence no evaluation of the trainees could be performed at this stage. Also the following interpersonal communication rules were introduced and endorsed throughout the practice with various exercises. • Feel free • Be open and willing to take a risk • Be confident in the group and oneself • There’s no right or wrong • Always dare (to do)

16 YANTE . youth, art & levante Trainee Feedback

Grünig and Roelli classes focused on developing the trainees’ basic skills necessary for a dance class, such as training the perception of space, time, dynamics, the music, the rhythm, and the others in space. They also performed lots of focus training work. “During the two months we taught once a week at Communication school - Palestine red crescent Gianna Grünig society for deaf children, whereof two teenagers Born in Bern, Gianna studied at the akarDance joined the I Can Move Community Dance Project Studio Bern, Annemarie Parekh, and at the in April. The change in the group after they joined Ballett Studio Spiegel Eva Werner. She joined the was deeply touching. The perception and the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique concentration changed and the trainees started to et de Danse de Paris in 2005. 2009/2010 she try out before asking questions. It deepened the danced in the Junior Ballet Contemporain, which understanding of their own body.” toured, amongst others, to the Juilliard School and the Merce Cunningham Studio New York. Gianna “Abed has a compelling sensitivity and poetry in his worked on various interdisciplinary projects. She dance.” collaborated with the architect, Ricardo Suanes, in Paris, the writer Thomas Doppler for the “Manar surprised us again and again with her Vernissage of the poetry book, “Nelson und die creativity and expressiveness. Manar has an abstract, Kobra“ and with the Company,” Trouble Têtes at exciting movement language that appeared in the the Cite des Arts de la Rue in Marseille. improvisations and in her composition study.” “Raafat has a sparkling energy. It was very touching to see how quickly he has integrated into the group, although he joined us a bit later.”

Franziska Roelli Born in 1986 in Sursee LU, Franziska started dancing at the Schule für Künstlerischen Tanz Sursee, at the akarDance Studio Bern and at the Ballett Studio Spiegel Eva Werner in Switzerland. She studied at the Folkwang University in Essen and worked with Malou Airaudo, Dominique Mercy, Lutz Förster ect. Among others she danced in “Chanconetta“ by Stephan Brinkmann, “Squat“ by Pascal Merighi and “not blue“ by Johannes Wieland. Since 2011 Franziska has been member of the Collective Bern Retour, for which she created “Face to Face“ and performed in different pieces. In October 2011, Franziska got invited to join the Festival International de la Danse Contemporaine Algirs, where she performed the Duo “Fallen wie von weit“ and gave a workshop to dancers from all over the world and created a piece with and for the whole group.

17 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013

• Distribute your attention to all of the 4.1.3 students, Intensive Module 1 • Develop the sensitivity and some ideas to Partnering and Contact Improvisation support and challenge all of the students as dancers. April • Maintain a friendly and respectful dialog Mohan Thomas & Maria Lucia Agon with all of your students • Establish a relationship with your students that always has the „cause“ i.e. the learning and the taught material prioritised and at its core. (don’t mix it with private feelings) Class description

Apart from the general focus of group At the end of each training day a group discussion consolidation, this first Module focused on was held in which impressions, learning processes, community dance as a practice introducing basic successes and problems were discussed. The teaching skills. The artists Maria Lucia Agon and trainees were also asked to write a personal Mohan Thomas, developed the concept, that reflection at home. built the foundation of the training. Each training day was structured in four phases. Alongside artistic and pedagogical questions, other aspects which are important for the 1. Intermediation / Development of various success of community dance were discussed contemporary dance techniques within the group, e. g. a clean floor, the division of tasks, keeping record lists of absence, discipline 2. Fostering of creativity: improvisation work and appreciation of the programme. and composition Trainee Feedback 3. Relaxation: e.g. Yoga, Meditation Throughout the intensive workshop the teachers 4. Teaching skills and Group discussions: could witness the positive development of the analysis, reflexion and documentation young dancers, their understanding of dance in regard to their body awareness, as well as their development of mental and emotional capacity. In a class trial each trainee was given the task They learnt to “trust in oneself and in others”. of taking on the role of the teacher by not only explaining to the others one dance exercise, but also by actually demonstrating and teaching it. Feedback of teachers and fellow trainees was 21.04.2012 INVITATION | OPEN CLASS always received positively. The following aspects of teaching were covered in this module:

• Preparation: calculate at least 2 hours of EXILE rehearsal, August 2011

ﺷﺎرﻛﻮﻧﺎ! !preparation before class and evaluation Join us ﻳﺴﻌﺪﻧﺎ دﻋﻮﺗﻜﻢ ﻟﺤﻀﻮر اﻟﺘﺪرﻳﺐ after class for 1 hour of teaching. We would like to invite you to our اﻟﻤﻔﺘﻮح وذﻟﻚ ﻳﻮم اﻟﺴﺒﺖ اﻟﻘﺎدم ,showing this coming Saturday ٢١.ﻧﻴﺴﺎن.٢٠١٢ وذﻟﻚ ﻓﻲ ﺗﻤﺎم اﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ ,starting at 6:00 pm 21.04.2012 اﻟﺴﺎدﺳﺔ ًﻣﺴﺎء ﻧ ﺎ د ﻓﻲ ي ﺷ ﺒ ﺎ ب -at Ramallah Youth Club (Al رام ا، ﻋﻤﺎرة اﻟﻔﺎر (ﺧﻠﻒ ﻋﻤﺎرة اﻟﻨﺘﺸﺔ) -know what you want to impart to the Far Building, city center behind al • اﻟﻄﺎﺑﻖ اﻟﺴﺎدس. .(students natsheh building, 6.ﬂoor

اﻟﻤﺸﺎرﻛﻮن PARTICIPANTS ﻓﻲ ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ ﺗﺪرﻳﺐ اﻟﻤﺪرﺑﻴﻦ: :in the training of trainers program ﻋﺒﻮد، ﻋﺎﺻﻒ، ﻣﺎﻫﺮ، ﻣﻨﺎر، ﻣﺤﻤﺪ، ﻣﺮاد، ﻧﺸﻮة، ,Impart clear and simple messages Aboud, Assef, Maher, Manar, Mohammed • رﻓﻌﺖ، رزان، ﺳﻮﻣﺎر. .Murad, Nashwa, Raf’at, Razan, Summar

اﻟﻤﺪرﺑﻴﻦ :TRAINERS ﻓﺮاﻧﺸﺴﻜﺎ روﻳﻠﻲ (ﺳﻮﻳﺴﺮا)، ﺟﻴﺎﻧﺎ ﺟﺮوﻧﻴﺞ Franziska ROELLI (Switzerland), Gianna (ﺳﻮﻳﺴﺮا)، ﻣﺎرﻳﺎ ﻟﻮﺳﻴﺎ اﻏﻮن راﻣﻴﺮﻳﺰ GRÜNIG (Switzerland), Maria Lucia Agon (ﻛﻮﻟﻮﻣﺒﻴﺎ)، ﻣﻮﻫﺎن ﺗﻮﻣﺎس (اﻟﻤﺎﻧﻴﺎ). Be open and keep the spontaneity Ramirez (Colombia), Mohan C. THOMAS • (Germany)

ﻫﺬا اﻟﺘﺪرﻳﺐ اﻟﻤﻔﺘﻮح ﻳﺄﺗﻴﻜﻢ ﺿﻤﻦ اﻃﺎر This open class comes within the framework ﻣﺸﺮوع أﻧﺎ ﻗﺎدر ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺤﺮﻛﺔ / ﺗﺪرﻳﺐ اﻟﻤﺪرﺑﻴﻦ. of the I CAN MOVE project of Training the Trainers. For more information about the ﻟﻠﻤﺰﻳﺪ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﻌﺎوﻣﺎت ﺣﻮل اﻟﻤﺸﺮوع و ﻛﻴﻔﻴﺔ Use a clear tone of speech and voice • program and how to join the program please اﻻﻧﻀﻤﺎم اﻟﺮﺟﺎء زﻳﺎرة ﻣﻮﻗﻌﻨﺎ اﻻﻟﻜﺘﺮوﻧﻲ. .visit our web page

• Prepare the music in advance, (important AUSTRIA PALESTINE E-MAIL & WEB Stumpergasse 57/58, 1060 Vienna 3. Al-jami’a Street, 72100 Ramallah [email protected] Mobile: +43 (0) 676 3193323 Mobile: +972 (0) 592 123216 / www.yante-icanmove.org Tel/Fax: +43 (0) 1 9717946 +972 (0) 599 795907 aspect) either CD or musical accompaniment YOUTH, ART,  LEVANTE

18 YANTE . youth, art & levante Mohen Thomas Maria Lucia Agon Mohan C. Thomas was born in 1976 in Bergisch- Maria Lucia Agon Ramirez was born in Colombia Gladbach. From 1997 to 2002 he studied at in 1980. In 1998 she started as a member the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen. of the dance company, “Ballet Experimental Furthermore, he attended several modern dance, Contemporaneo BEC,” and gained her first choreography and yoga courses in New York and professional experiences. With that group toured London, among others, with Benoit Lachambre, within Colombia and performed in various Ted Stoffer and David Zambrano. He has worked theatres. Additionally, Maria Lucia participated in with renowned choreographers such as Carlos various dance workshops at international dance Orta, Rodolpho Leoni and many others. Since festivals in Medellin and Cartagena in order to 2002 he has been working with Sasha Waltz & further develop her dancing abilities. Guests. In the production, “noBody”, he danced in After taking classes in France CNDC, Angers, more than 100 performances at venues ranging Nantes and Paris, she decided to study at the from Avignon (Palais des Papes), Paris (Theatre German Folkwang-Hochschule and was accepted de la Ville), St. Petersburg, Stockholm, New Delhi immediately in 2000. While studying, she gave and Calcutta. classes for contemporary dance and yoga. Thomas’ dance company, TANZMOTO, was She she worked with the choreographers. Kuo established in 2003. Thomas has directed national Chu Wu, Zoltan Dani and Norbert Steinwarz. in and international community projects under the November 2005, she danced with Leonard Cruz MOVING SCHOOL concept. in evening filling piece, “du fond d’un naufrage“. He works successfully together with Royston In her last film project she took part as a main Maldoom and founded, in collaboration with the character in the successful dance film production, Theater of the City Marlm the “Kids- and Youth “The Double Woman“ from KEPTINSIGHT Dance Company Marl“. Productions from Canada. Since 2002 Mohan gives courses in contemporary dance and yoga, combined with kinesiological exercises as well as Alexander technique.

19 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013 4.1.4 I liked how dance became Dance Technique breath. May I liked and now I want to Jasmin Hoffer become a dance teacher. Class description make my life beautiful . Jasmin Hoffer was asked to work with the trainees on softening the body. Hence she mainly used My body is bigger and release technique in her classes. She supported the trainees in exploring the possibilities of the wider with no occupation. differentiation between holding and letting go, tension and relaxation, and how to swing, drop Change ideas about dance . and catch body parts in order to generate momentum from this action. She worked with Change everything, all the the trainees on sequential movements and spirals. She also explored floor work further with the roads. trainees, mainly inspired by the Flying Low and Axis Syllabus techniques. Prove to everyone that he is Like all teachers in this semester, Jasmin focused on team building activities. She put an emphasis capable of movement. on moving together and in different formations to heighten their awareness of each other and We wish you more of what the space. She also used Bodywork extensively to underline and enhance the trainees’ ability to rejoices the heart. let go of their muscles and to build trust between the trainees. She led them through the different Embrace all of Palestine. possibilities of touch: A word collage out of answers by the trainees to question 1. On the level of the skin like, why do you participate in the program, where do you see yourself in the future... 2. On the level of the muscles

3. On the level of the bones Trainee feedback

4. Going over to gentle manipulation “Due to his training in acting and traditional Palestinian Dance, Mourad is used to performing in front of audience and has a strong stage presence. This sensitized state for movement explorations, He is very consistant in realising an artistic idea and was then used to allow each trainee to create was continuously refining his solo over an extended a solo based on the various compositional period. Like the all others he has to improve his techniques introduced by Jasmin. flexibility and technical precision.” “Nashwah is aware of the lines and shapes she creates with her body. She seemed to deal with a lot of pressure from her surroundings and also had some health problems, but she is very strong and has understood the importance of dance in her life and the necessity to claim it for herself. In creative work she comes up with fresh ideas and works well together with others. In performative settings she can capture attention and create tension.”

20 YANTE . youth, art & levante Jasmin Hoffer Jasmin Hoffer is a dancer and performer, born in 1983 in Graz (A). Her last solo performance ,“linescaping”, a collaboration with Hungarian choreographer, Marta Ladjanszki, and Austrian media artist, Andreas Förster, was presented at the dance festival, “tanzschrittweise.” in Graz in April 2011. She holds a teaching degree for visual art, attended a master class for painting (HTBLVA Graz-Ortweinschule) and studied contemporary dance in Scotland (The Scottish School of Contemporary Dance). Over the last two years she has been participating in projects with the choreographers Willi Dorner (A), Jianan Qu (RC/A) and Evgeny Kozlov (RUS). In Summer 2011 she received a scholarship for the International ChoreoLab Austria by Sebastian Prantl. She and fellow dance artists, Petr Ochvat (CZ), Anna Prokopová (CZ) and Emmy Steiner (AU/A), founded De.ce.le.r.a.t.e.d Dots in September 2011, with the focus on establishing a common performance practice. Currently she is the representative for communication and art of the self-organized dance, theatre and performance platform in the cultural instiution, WUK, where she also teaches contemporary dance classes.

21 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013

This includes preparation, class management and 4.1.5 issues of child protection. The following will be worked out: Intensive Module II 1. Safety issues - what a teacher needs to be Teaching Dance to Children aged aware of (room, dress, material, etc) 2. Class management - creating a safe working 8-12, part I environment for the children and establishing discipline. Appropriate touch, use of voice, May energy, being flexible 3. Planning - length of time, age and gender Mags Byrne appropriate material 4. Expanding and challenging, aiming high

Class description 3. Planning and class content Suggested class structure for a technique class In Module II Mags Byrne introduced the trainees and a creative class to teaching skills especially in community and 1. Length of time school contexts. The module focused on the age 2. Suggested structure for use in a children’s category 8 – 12. In this module the trainees were class introduced to the different class structures, and 3. Aims and main elements of each section the various responsibilities they bear as teachers, such as class safety measures, class planning and For a technique class: important pedagogical and psychological concepts • Flexibility and placement necessary for the delivery of a dance class for • Building strength children. It focused on developing the trainees • Floor work delivery skills, meaning how to encourage and • Travelling then work with the children’s creativity, structuring • Movement memory that work for a performance, learning what is involved in the delivery of a small performance For a creative class: and building relationships with schools and school • Action words teachers. • Movement phrases • Example warm ups and games 1. Why Dance/Why with children • Lead in material – use of stimuli Through practical experience and theoretical • Tasks discussions the participants will reflect on “why do • Improvisation they dance” and “why do they think dance might be good for children”. The rational for dance work Technique class and Creative Class: with children will be concluded through looking Classes were split into different age groups, at the following aims and possible outcomes of depending on this different working times were that work: set: 1. Develop individuals’ creativity as a means of • Children 3-5 years: 20 min at most enhancing personal and social growth • Children 6-8 years: 30 min at most 2. Positive impact on general learning • Children 9-11: 45 min at most 3. Develop social/communication skills and • Children 12-14: 60 min at most create a safe working environment to • Youth 14+: between 1:15h and 1:30h at most understand and express emotions Suggested structure for use in a children’s class 4. Develop interpersonal skills and group I. Warm up dynamics II. Lead in 5. Aid development of positive self image III. Main section 6. 6. Positively impact young people’s view of IV. Culmination themselves in relation to the wider community V. Cool down 7. Encourage acceptance of diversity 8. Positively impact children’s general physical Aims and main elements of each section health 4. Planning wheel 2. Responsibilities of the teacher What/ How/Where/With Whom What does the dance teacher need to do before the class starts to insure safety and what are the 5. Creating a tool box responsibilities of the teacher during the class? Example classes

22 YANTE . youth, art & levante work with the group of children in the presence 6. Suggested Books and music of the instructor Mags Byrne, who supported the trainees and intervened to insure child safety Use of music were necessary. After performing these classes Beat or no beat, rhythm or not, sequence or free the trainees would receive individual and group movement, self created or recorded, words or feedback, based on which they went back to their not class planning and made the necessary changes and amendments for the following session with What type of music: the children. Folk, pop, drums, etc….. Participants Use of Stimuli • Children: 100 children aged 8 – 12 from Prop, picture, music, poem, story, object……… the Friends Schools, Mustaqbal School, Arab Evangelical Episcopal School and the Tawsal Al-Tam School for Deaf and Mute Children. This module especially focused on the following • Choreographer/Trainer: Mags Byrne Do’s for a teacher: • Trainees: 12 Trainees (3 Trainees per group) • Audience of performance: about 300 Do’s consisting of parents, Friends and some • Establish safety rules school students • Keep your energy high and present in the room Training Sessions and Performance • Gentle, respectful touch Training: • Use your voice to express and convey meaning Winter: Wednesday 07.06.2012: 3 hours training • Praise lots when you see something worth Group I (10:30 – 13:30) Al-Tawasul A-Tam School praising, praise effort for deaf and mute children • Plan and have answers to your questions • Be prepared to change your plans, be flexible Autumn: Wednesday 07.06.2012: 3 hours training • Be brave Group II (14:00 – 17:00) Friends Schools

Spring: Wednesday 07.06.2012: 3 hours training Module Part II: Practical Implementation Group III (17:30 – 20:30) Arab Evangelical in the Schools Episcopal School

Description Summer: Thursday 08.06.2012: 3 hours training The work with the children in the school was Group IV (12:00 – 15:00) Mustaqbal School. composed of different aspects; there were creative classes that led to the performance of 4 different choreographies. The theme for the choreography was “the four seasons”. The intention was to look at the development of dance from words and themes, in order to present performances that have a theme or accessible idea. During Part I of the this module a common warm-up series were agreed upon by the trainees and the coarse instructor to ensure child safety, where all body parts are addressed, and also to have a common warm up part for all four groups. Based on Part I of the Module where the trainees learnt how to plan classes theoretically, each group of trainees were given the task of preparing a class based on the season they chose. They also planned their communication strategy with the children, their class rules, as well as the costumes and music. The trainees prepared those classes and discussed them with the coarse instructor Mags Byrne before going into the schools. In the schools, each group of trainees would

23 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013

Performance: Friday 09.06.2012 at 12:30 The performance took place at the Friends School. Time Rehearsal Break Practice Draw (Pitch) (Outside Hall) (Playground) (Hall)

9:00 – 10:20 Summer - - -

10:20 – 10:40 WARM UP -ALL - - -

10:40 – 11:05 Autumn Summer Winter Spring

11:05 – 11:30 Winter Autumn Spring Summer

11:30 – 11:55 Spring Winter Summer Autumn

11:55 – 12:20 Summer Spring Autumn Winter

12:20 – 12:30 All in Hall - - -

SUMMER: Mustaqbal School SPRING: Arab Evangalical E. Schools 9.00-10.20 Class 10.00 – 10.20 Registration in Hall 10.20 – 10.40 Warm up 10.20 – 10.40 Warm up 10.40 – 11.05 Break 10.40 – 11.05 Draw 11.05 – 11.30 Draw 11.05 – 11.30 Practice 11.30 – 11.55 Practice 11.30 – 11.55 Rehearsal 11.55 – 12.20 Rehearsal 11.55 – 12.20 Break 12.20 In Hall 12.20 In Hall AUTUMN: Friends Schools WINTER: Al-Tawasul Al-Tam 10.00 – 10.20 Registration in Hall 10.00 – 10.20 Registration in Hall 10.20 – 10.40 Warm up 10.20 – 10.40 Warm up 10.40 – 11.05 Rehearsal 10.40 – 11.05 Practice 11.05 – 11.30 Break 11.05 – 11.30 Rehearsal 11.30 – 11.55 Draw 11.30 – 11.55 Break 11.55 – 12.20 Practice 11.55 – 12.20 Draw 12.20 In Hall 12.20 In Hall

It consisted of the warm up in front of the audience to show discipline and the movements that have been learnt in the warm-up. Which is also considered a symbolic way to illustrate the importance of a warm-up. After the warm-up the children presented the performance of the 4 different choreographies that they created in the training session on the theme of the “four seasons”. The YANTE Trainees and their instructor Mags Byrne explained to the audience the process that the children had undergone and the theme that they worked on to prepare the audience and also to stimulate empathy and understanding amongst the audience as well as encourage and empower the children before going on stage: “Look at how disciplined your kids are (even if they are not) look at how they are standing without moving (even if they are not), look how strong and powerful they are. Look how quiet and committed they are. Do you know that the important thing in learning is how to be quiet and how to listen? Do you also know that the performance you will be seeing was created by your children?”. The Trainees and Trainer also explained to the audience what the movements mean and symbolize, e.g. “You see when the children move like this, it represents the rain, or leaves, etc.”. Mags Byrne also explained to the parents how the children learn and develop their understanding of the topics as well as other skills through dancing For more information on the pedagogy modules please see section 5.2 page 77.

24 YANTE . youth, art & levante 08.06.2012 INVITATION | OPEN CLASS

EXILE rehearsal, August 2011

ﺷﺎرﻛﻮﻧﺎ! !Join us

ﻳﺴﻌﺪﻧﺎ دﻋﻮﺗﻜﻢ ﻟﺤﻀﻮر اﻟﺘﺪرﻳﺐ We would like to invite you to our اﻟﻤﻔﺘﻮح وذﻟﻚ ﻳﻮم اﻟﺠﻤﻌﺔ showing on Friday, 08.06.2012 Mags Byrne ٨.ﺣﺰﻳﺮان.٢٠١٢ ﻓﻲ ﺗﻤﺎم اﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ اﻟﺜﺎﻧﻴﺔ starting at 12:30 pm, at the ﻋﺸﺮة واﻟﻨﺼﻒ ﻇﻬﺮ ﻓﻲ ﻣﺪرﺳﺔ Friends Girls School / sports Mags has worked extensively in Britain and اﻟﻔﺮﻧﺪز ﻟﻠﺒﻨﺎت / ﻗﺎﻋﺔ اﻟﺮﻳﺎﺿﺔ ﻓﻲ رام hall, in Ramallah, next to the ,Ireland, as well as in Addis Ababa, Basel, Bucharest ا، ﺑﺠﺎﻧﺐ ﺑﻠﺪﻳﺔ رام ا. .Municipality of Ramallah

.Hamburg, Java, Soweto, Vienna and Zagreb اﻟﻤﺸﺎرﻛﻮن PARTICIPANTS ﻓﻲ ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ ﺗﺪرﻳﺐ اﻟﻤﺪرﺑﻴﻦ: :in the training of trainers program ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﺤﻠﻴﻢ، ﻋﺪﻧﺎن، ﻋﺎﺻﻒ، ﺟﻬﺎد، ﻛﺎﻣﻞ، ﻣﻨﺎر، ,Abed-ElHalim, Adnan, Asef, Jihad, Kamel The Irish choreographer and dance teacher ﻣﺮاد، ﻧﺸﻮة، رﻓﻌﺖ، ﺳﻨﺎء، ﺷﻬﺪ، ﺳﻮﻣﺎر. ,’Manar, Murad, Nashwa, Raf’at, Sanaa Shahd, Summar. started her studies in humanities, focusing on اﻟﻤﺪارس اﻟﻤﺸﺎرﻛﺔ: ﻣﺪرﺳﺔ اﻻﺗﺼﺎل اﻟﺘﺎم (ﻟﻠﺼﻢ واﻟﺒﻜﻢ) / :PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS ﺟﻤﻌﻴﺔ اﻟﻬﻼل اªﺣﻤﺮ، ﻣﺪارس اﻟﻔﺮﻧﺪز (ﻟﻠﺒﻨﺎت) ,PRCS School for the Deaf & Dumb dance as her Major. As a professional dancer, she ﻣﺪارس اﻟﻤﺴﺘﻘﺒﻞ، اﻟﻤﺪرﺳﺔ اﻻﻧﺠﻴﻠﻴﺔ ,Friends Girls School, Al-Mustaqbal School اﻻﺳﻘﻔﻴﺔ اﻟﻌﺮﺑﻴﺔ The Arab Evangelical Episcopal School

performed with many companies including Dance اﻟﻤﺪرﺑﺔ TRAINER Theatre of Ireland and City Dance Company ﻣﺎﻏﺰ ﺑﻴﺮﻧﺔ (اﻳﺮﻟﻨﺪا) (Mags BYRNE (Ireland اﻟﻤﺪرﺑﻴﻦ اﻟﺴﺎﺑﻘﻴﻦ وﻣﺴﺎﻋﺪي اﻟﺘﺪرﻳﺐ FORMER TRAINERS & ASSISTANTS in Dublin. As a teacher and choreographer she ﻓﺮاﻧﺸﺴﻜﺎ روﻳﻠﻲ (ﺳﻮﻳﺴﺮا)، ﺟﻴﺎﻧﺎ ﺟﺮوﻧﻴﺞ Franziska ROELLI (Switzerland), Gianna (ﺳﻮﻳﺴﺮا)، ﻣﺎرﻳﺎ ﻟﻮﺳﻴﺎ اﻏﻮن راﻣﻴﺮﻳﺰ (ﻛﻮﻟﻮﻣﺒﻴﺎ)، GRÜNIG (Switzerland), Maria Lucia Agon ﻣﻮﻫﺎن ﺗﻮﻣﺎس (اﻟﻤﺎﻧﻴﺎ)، ﻳﺎﺳﻤﻴﻦ ﻫﻮﻓﺮ Ramirez (Colombia), Mohan C. THOMAS has worked with people of all ages and abilities (اﻟﻨﻤﺴﺎ). (Germany), Jasmin HOFFER, (Austria) in theatres, concert halls and in school and ﻫﺬا اﻟﺘﺪرﻳﺐ اﻟﻤﻔﺘﻮح ﻳﺄﺗﻴﻜﻢ ﺿﻤﻦ اﻃﺎر This open class comes within the framework ﻣﺸﺮوع أﻧﺎ ﻗﺎدر ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺤﺮﻛﺔ / ﺗﺪرﻳﺐ اﻟﻤﺪرﺑﻴﻦ. of the I CAN MOVE project of Training the ﻟﻠﻤﺰﻳﺪ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﻌﺎوﻣﺎت ﺣﻮل اﻟﻤﺸﺮوع و ﻛﻴﻔﻴﺔ Trainers. For more information about the program and how to join please visit our community settings. She is currently the Director اﻻﻧﻀﻤﺎم اﻟﺮﺟﺎء زﻳﺎرة ﻣﻮﻗﻌﻨﺎ اﻻﻟﻜﺘﺮوﻧﻲ. web page. of Dance United Northern Ireland, a dance AUSTRIA PALESTINE E-MAIL & WEB Stumpergasse 57/58, 1060 Vienna 3. Al-jami’a Street, 72100 Ramallah [email protected] for development company with the vision of Mobile: +43 (0) 676 3193323 Mobile: +972 (0) 592 123216 / www.yante-icanmove.org Tel/Fax: +43 (0) 1 9717946 +972 (0) 599 795907 YOUTH, ART,  LEVANTE advancing dance as an art form and as a potent tool for personal development and social change. The company works to push the boundaries of where and with whom dance has value and focuses on those marginalised through economic and social deprivation and conflict. Mags first worked with Royston Maldoom in 1989. In the mid 90’s she began a seven year programme as his associate artistic director for the community and vocational dance training project “Adugna”, Ethiopia. She continues to collaborate with him on projects and Royston is currently Consultant Director for Dance United Northern Ireland.

25 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013

4.1.6 Sternig took the trainees onto the streets of Ramallah to get some new atmospheres, Dance Technique associations and choreographic elements and June/July developed some short solos inspired by the environment of Ramallah at the end of the four Stefanie Sternig weeks. The short solos or duos were accompanied with the expressiveness of the articulating body Class description ,somewhere between emotions and rationality, which were created by the trainees in response After exploring contrasting dance techniques, to their momentous feelings. such as that of Pina Bausch and Release Technique as well as experiencing the healing effect of dance through bodywork, and teaching in four schools within the community in Module II (see section 4.1.5 page 22), it was time for the trainees to explore the topic of participation in the community on an artistic level. The Austrian artist, Stefanie Sternig, introduced various choreographic tools to the trainees that culminated in a performative session on the streets of Ramallah. The artistic intervention was prepared through a 4-week process where the classes were structured as follows: 1. Warm up and Techniques of contemporary Stefanie Sternig dance Stefanie Sternig studied education and special 2. Improvisation and curative education at the University of Vienna followed by “Contemporary Dance Pedagogy” at 3. Choreographic tools the Vienna Conservatory, where she graduated in 2011. She is the winner of the 2011/2012 4. Relaxation, Reflexion and Feedback scholarship of the Vienna Dance Quarter where, as an active member of Viennas dynamic and In section 2) Improvisation of the classes: the young contemporary dance scene, she co- teachers together with the trainees tried to founded the artists collective “kunststoff”. Stefanie find some improvisation exercises to develop was part of the opening of the Choreography an individual body movement, to express it Centre Bleiburg/Kärnten. through personal movements and to step out Her latest piece “Krawalle und Hiebe,” that of conventional patterns of movement, hence to she produced with the kunststoff collective, take and to find a new, different perspective on is concerned with the various perspectives of physicality. The trainees were working on solo as resistance in the culture of civil protest. well as on group exercises. A main focus was put on the communication between the body as a system of movements and sounds, as well as on absorbing noises from the streets that influence the individual language of body movement through this new experiences. In section 3) Choreographic tools of the classes: the trainees explored how to build up a choreography. How can a dance unfold via movements and sequences or situations and states? By using the format of feedback rounds, Sternig tried to encourage the group to take another, closer look from outside and to go beyond observing the others into leading them to new ideas and perspectives of how to create a choreography.

26 YANTE . youth, art & levante 2. Nutrition 4.1.7 • Carbs: the only source of nutrition for the brain and most readily accesible energy Intensive Module III source for the body Introduction to Anatomy • Fat: important for hormones, organs, nerves, vitamins...etc • Protein: important for bones, joints, June enzymes, muscles, blood, hormones..etc Nadia Arouri • Vitamins, minerals and micronutrients: 13 types of vitamins, 23 types of Minerals and micronutrients Class description For Biography see page 92 One of the most important responsibilities of a dance teacher is the physical and psychological safety of the participants. This module introduced basic anatomy knowledge to deepen the trainees understanding of physical alignment, i.e. enhance their ability of maintaining the physical safety of students in their classes. As an introductory class in anatomy, this module covered human physiology as well as nutrition. Classes consisted of theoretical part, and applied anatomy exercises. Classes covered the following topics: 1. Human Physiology

• Cells • Fibres (Collagen fibres, Elastic fibres) • Tissues (Epithel tissues, Connective and Supporting tissues, Fat tissues, Muscle tissues, Nerve tissues • Skeleton system • Bones • Ligaments/cartilage (hyaline cartilage, fibrous cartilage, elastic cartilage) • Joints (pivot joint, condyloid joint, ball and socket joint, glidding joint, saddle joint, hinge joint, bicondyloid joint). • Tendons

• Muscles • Muscle types. 1. Smooth Muscles 2. Cardiac Muscle 3. Skeletal Muscles • Dynamic Contraction 1. Concentric 2. Eccentric • Static Contraction • Muscle movement 1. Agonists 2. Antagonists 3. Synergist 4. Stabilizer • Muscle Fibre Types • Fasciae

27 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013 4.1.8 Intensive Module IV From Improvisation to Choreography

July Josef Eder

Class description Josef Eder As the closing session of the first semester, Josef lives as freelance choreographer and actor in Module four combined all elements previously Munich. After his school time at Regensburg. He covered throughout the semester. The primary travelled as a cattle dealer in Germany. In Cologne, focus of the module was to introduce the Eder met the dancer and choreographer James participants to more choreographic tools and Saunders. That was the beginning of his passion techniques, alongside endorsing the trainees for dance, the stage and work with humans. After in their development on the level of dance various dance projects, and later training as the technique, anatomical knowledge and especially assistant of Saunders, he completed his study in their teaching skills. Hence, each training day in contemporary dance, contact improvisation, was structured in the following phases: improvisation and choreography with the dance projects in Cologne as well as scholarship holder 1. Dance technique class, in which one of to “The Nikolais Murray Lois dance foundation” in them had to teach the warm up New York. During this period he made his money as a Pantomime road artist. In the search for his 2. Choreographic tools and research, where individual dance language, he came into numerous the trainees were introduced to various workshops and meetings with important dancers possibilities of using: and, choreographers, such as Frey fist, Rui Horta, Johann Kresnik, Pavel Mikulastik, Daniel Leppkoff • Objects in and around their living or and many others. He has performed as a guest working space dancer at the opera in Cologne and Bonn, as • Assigning words well as at the municipal theatre Ingolstadt and • Facial expressions on stage in many free productions. Special attention on • Expression of emotions on stage its Forschungsreise after new forms “in motion • Improvisation Seins” was valid for the intensive argument with • Rhythm Feldenkrais, Alexander technique Yoga and Pilates. 3. Presentation & Feedback, where the trainees presented a choreographic summary of their work throughout phase 2 and received 25.07.2012 OPEN CLASS | END OF SEMESTER feedback from the group. 4. Cool down / bodywork, developing anatomical awareness and body perception. EXILE rehearsal, August 2011

ﺷﺎرﻛﻮﻧﺎ! !Join us ﺑﻤﻨﺎﺳﺒﺔ اﻧﺘﻬﺎء اﻟﻔﺼﻞ اﻟﺘﺪرﻳﺒﻲ اول In the occasion of the successful termination of the ﬁrst semester ﻟﻤﺸﺮوع «أﻧﺎ ﻗﺎدر ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺤﺮﻛﺔ» ﻳﺴﻌﺪﻧﺎ The trainees created soli, duos and trios of the “I CAN MOVE” training دﻋﻮﺗﻜﻢ ﻟﺤﻀﻮر اﻟﺘﺪرﻳﺐ اﻟﻤﻔﺘﻮح throughout the module out of the various program, we would like to invite you وذﻟﻚ ﻳﻮم ارﺑﻌﺎء ٢٥.ﺗﻤﻮز.٢٠١٢ ﻓﻲ ,to our showing on Wednesday 25.07.2012 starting at 21:00 ﺗﻤﺎم اﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ اﻟﺘﺎﺳﻌﺔ ًﻣﺴﺎء ﻓﻲ ﻧﺎدي choreographic tools and propositions introduced pm, at Ramallah Youth Club ﺷﺒﺎب رام ا، ﻋﻤﺎرة اﻟﻔﺎر (ﺧﻠﻒ ﻋﻤﺎرة Al-Far Building, city center behind) اﻟﻨﺘﺸﺔ) اﻟﻄﺎﺑﻖ اﻟﺴﺎدس. .(by German artist, Josef Eder. At the end of day al-natsheh building, 6.ﬂoor 8 and throughout day 9, the soli choreographed

اﻟﻤﺸﺎرﻛﻮن PARTICIPANTS ﻓﻲ ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ ﺗﺪرﻳﺐ اﻟﻤﺪرﺑﻴﻦ: :by the trainees were put together into one in the training of trainers program ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﺤﻠﻴﻢ، ﻋﺪﻧﺎن، ﺑﺘﻮل، ﻏﺎﻧﺪي، ﺟﻬﺎد، ﻛﺎﻣﻞ، ,Abed-ElHalim, Adnan, Batoul, Ghandi ﻣﻨﺎر، ﻣﺮاد، ﻧﺸﻮة، رأﻓﺖ، ﺷﻬﺪ، ﺳﻮﻣﺎر. ,Jihad, Kamel, Manar, Murad, Nashwa piece and rehearsed. The group choreography Ra’fat, Shahd, Summar. اﻟﻤﺪرﺑﻮن TRAINER ﺟﻮزﻳﻒ إدار وﻣﻴﺎ ﺻﻮﻓﻴﺎ ﺑﻴﻠﻴﺘﺰا (اﻟﻤﺎﻧﻴﺎ) (was presented in a public showing at the hall of Josef EDAR & Mia Sophia Bilitza (Germany اﻟﻤﺪرﺑﻴﻦ اﻟﺴﺎﺑﻘﻴﻦ وﻣﺴﺎﻋﺪي اﻟﺘﺪرﻳﺐ FORMER TRAINERS & ASSISTANTS ﻣﺎﻏﺰ ﺑﻴﺮﻧﺔ (اﻳﺮﻟﻨﺪا)، ﻓﺮاﻧﺸﺴﻜﺎ روﻳﻠﻲ (ﺳﻮﻳﺴﺮا)، Mags BYRNE (Ireland), Franziska ROELLI ﺟﻴﺎﻧﺎ ﺟﺮوﻧﻴﺞ (ﺳﻮﻳﺴﺮا)، ﻣﺎرﻳﺎ ﻟﻮﺳﻴﺎ اﻏﻮن راﻣﻴﺮﻳﺰ ,(Switzerland), Gianna GRÜNIG (Switzerland) (ﻛﻮﻟﻮﻣﺒﻴﺎ)، ﻣﻮﻫﺎن ﺗﻮﻣﺎس (اﻟﻤﺎﻧﻴﺎ)، ﻳﺎﺳﻤﻴﻦ .the Ramallah Youth Club on the 25.07.2013. The Maria Lucia Agon Ramirez (Colombia), Mohan C ﻫﻮﻓﺮ (اﻟﻨﻤﺴﺎ)، ﺳﺘﻴﻔﺎﺗﻲ ﺳﺘﻴﺮﻳﻨﻎ (اﻟﻨﻤﺴﺎ) ,(THOMAS (Germany), Jasmin HOFFER, (Austria Stephanie Stering (Austria) ﻫﺬا اﻟﺘﺪرﻳﺐ اﻟﻤﻔﺘﻮح ﻳﺄﺗﻴﻜﻢ ﺿﻤﻦ اﻃﺎر showing concluded the fourth module and the This open class comes within the framework ﻣﺸﺮوع أﻧﺎ ﻗﺎدر ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺤﺮﻛﺔ / ﺗﺪرﻳﺐ اﻟﻤﺪرﺑﻴﻦ. of the I CAN MOVE project of Training the Trainers. For more information about the ﻟﻠﻤﺰﻳﺪ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﻌﺎوﻣﺎت ﺣﻮل اﻟﻤﺸﺮوع و ﻛﻴﻔﻴﺔ program and how to join please visit our اﻻﻧﻀﻤﺎم اﻟﺮﺟﺎء زﻳﺎرة ﻣﻮﻗﻌﻨﺎ اﻻﻟﻜﺘﺮوﻧﻲ. .first semester of the I CAN MOVE programme. web page

AUSTRIA PALESTINE E-MAIL & WEB Stumpergasse 57/58, 1060 Vienna 3. Al-jami’a Street, 72100 Ramallah [email protected] Mobile: +43 (0) 676 3193323 Mobile: +972 (0) 592 123216 / www.yante-icanmove.org Tel/Fax: +43 (0) 1 9717946 +972 (0) 599 795907 YOUTH, ART,  LEVANTE

28 YANTE . youth, art & levante 4.1.9 Evaluation sem.1

As in the case of the pilot phase, the artistic and during this semester, which involved long hours organizational teams strode carefully with open of training over and over again. It became evident sensors through each day, researching for signs by the end of this semester, that there is a lack in and effects. There were many lessons to be learnt Palestine not only of academically trained cultural along the way, and adjustments and amendments managers but even self-taught cultural managers. were done on daily basis. The participating local dancers carried out as trainees were mainly beginners, although participation was open to all dancers in Palestine. Hence, the trainees required a strong training in dance technique. The ToT Programme was designed to provide both technical and theoretical knowledge, as well as practice opportunities. It takes into consideration the time schedules of the participants, and seeks to expand their professional network, hence improving their employment perspectives. Yet the main constraint for the trainees remains the need to balance between daily obligations (work, studies, etc.) and the intensive training. Many artists, including dancers in Palestine, are forced to work elsewhere while practicing art as a hobby, which is reflected mainly in body injuries amongst them and those they teach. Being aware of the many injuries prevailing a dancer’s career around the world in general, and in Palestine in particular, the team concluded the need for a particular focus on Anatomy. The team also recognized the need for other pivotal aspects, such as communication and management among other topics, which is what the programme delivered and will deliver in the coming semesters. Language also presents a challenge to the participating trainees. Some have harder time than others due to varying english-language fluency (language of instruction). Additionally two of the participants are hearing impaired, where sign language interpretation is unfortunately not always available. This semester, being the first, presented many challenges. The main challenge in this semester was that of finding a qualified programme manager, who is art affine, understands the approach of community based art work, and is able to cope with the challenges of building something new and unprecedented from scratch. YANTE had multiple changes of admin personal

29 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013

4.2 Semester 11 semester content & timeline

This programme is based on know-how developed Module VI with Wilfried van Poppel and Amaya in various international experiences, utilizes a Lubigt from DE LooPERS, Bremen, Germany, wide international network of professionals, and provided a practical and theoretical introduction has its foundation in local settings and expertise. I into modern dance history. This module was also CAN MOVE hence has the privilege to be able to concluded with a small public showing. learn from others’ mistakes. Hence, the evaluation meetings were not held with the trainees at Module VII was the first none dance phase of the the end of the first semester, but rather at the programme. Trainees received rigorous training beginning of the second semester. In other words, in communication skills, presentation skills, and instead of pointing out to the trainees everything where introduced to various communication they cannot do and should have focused on during methods and perspectives, most important of the past semester, leaving them to walk away which was that of non-violent communication. frustrated, a more constructive road was chosen. In November, one of the first believers in the I At the begining of semester II the trainees had the CAN MOVE programme, Ms. Lina Höhne, who opportunity to discuss their development and go played a pivotal role in the success of the EXILE through the basic techniques of what they learnt performance, returned to Palestine to work with one by one in individual classes at the outset of the trainees. Lina Höhne did not only teach dance the semester within the framework of module techniques to the trainees but also held very V, with the trainees mentor, founder of YANTE, valuable one-on-one sessions with the trainees. Nadia Arouri. The semester was concluded with Module VIII, Module V was followed by a phase of dance held by the renowned dancer and certified Axis technique classes with the returning artist, Gianna Syllabus teacher, Matthew William Smith, who Grünig, where classes were expanded by one-hour introduced the axis syllabus: lexicon of human of choreographic atelier. The choreographies of movement principles. Axis syllabus is a system for the trainees were then compiled and presented cross-correlating movement principles, bringing to the public in a small showing at the end of the pertinent information about training the body phase. and movement practice into an accessible format.

Phase Year 1 [ 2012 / 2013 ]

Semester Semester II

Calendar month Septemebr October November December

Focus Communication Gianna Grünig Gianna Grünig Lina Höhne Lina Höhne Dance Technique

Nadia Arouri Wilfried van Poppel / Natasha Aruri Matthew Smith Module week Amaya Lubigt

30 YANTE . youth, art & levante 4.2.1 Intensive Module V Analysing Dance Technique

September dance vocabulary was individually dissected and Nadia Arouri looked at from various perspectives. The module was structured as follows:

Class description Day 1 and 2: 16:00 – 18:00 Group dance class Module five was born in contrast to the general 18:00 – 22:00 Group feedback and evaluation evaluation structures within the education establishment. This module turned around the Day 3 – 9. common formats of evaluation; instead of giving 16:00 – 18:00 Group dance class the trainees individual feedback at the end of 18:00 – 20:00 Individual feedback trainee 1 the first semester, this module was set at the 20:00 – 22:00 Individual feedback trainee 2 outset of the second semester where each of the trainees received individual feedback on their Day 10: performance throughout the first semester. The 16:00 – 18:00 Group dance class module did not focus on the evaluation part, 18:00 – 22:00 Group feedback and evaluation on rather on the progress potential in the recognition evaluation format and process of one’s current standing. Hence, the feedback was mainly practical, where basic contemporary For Biography see page 92

Individual Classes Module V with Nadia Arouri

No. Name Date Time

1 Raafat 3/9/12 18:00 - 20:00 2 Summar 3/9/12 20:00 - 22:00 3 Shahd 4/9/12 18:00 - 20:00 4 Adnan 4/9/12 20:00 - 22:00 5 Abdelhalim 5/9/12 18:00 - 20:00 6 Jihad 5/9/12 20:00 - 22:00 7 Kamel 6/9/12 18:00 - 20:00 8 Manar 6/9/12 20:00 - 22:00 9 Murad 7/9/12 18:00 - 20:00 10 Nashwa 7/9/12 20:00 - 22:00 11 Batoul 8/9/12 18:00 - 20:00 12 Fatema 8/9/12 20:00 - 22:00 13 Sawsan 9/9/12 18:00 - 20:00

31 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013

4.2.2 • They following choreographic / improvisational tools were used in the Dance Technique creation process: September/October • Do. Undo. Do and undo at the same Gianna Grünig time. • Collect and Expand. Not forget one little corner of the body, opening up Class description and closing. • Isolation of different body parts. At this stage in addition to the compulsory 2-hour dance technique classes, an optional one The material from both classes was compiled hour choreographic atelier class was offered as a in a choreography by the trainees that was preparatory step for expanding the classes to 3 presented at the end of Gianna Grünig’s stay on hours. the 03.10.2013. The short presentation can be seen on youtube under the following links. Dance Technique Class Part I: http://www.youtube.com/ The returning Swiss artist, Gianna Grünig, watch?v=DeSs0FDMSS8 introduced the trainees to some basic exercises of Graham and Cunningham. She introduced Part II: http://www.youtube.com/ the trainees to exercises of Graham such as watch?v=yHagE03I10g breathings on four and on six with waist twist, as well as contractions from second position parallel “I was deeply impressed by the progress of to the sides and in the center. In Cunningham, she focused on bounces and flat back exercises. the dancers! It’s wonderful, that most of the trainees who joined “I Can Move” in March Classes also focused on presence, focus, and general perception of space; running in different or April 2012 are still with the group. Their paths, eye contact, switching directions, framing curiosity and will to learn, explore, create, technique starting from trios and building up. The share is breathtaking! trainees were also introduced to some martial arts principles, especially those of tai-chi. After It’s beautiful how they interact with each running, the exercises would start with standing other, the big age difference (between meditation in second position with the legs bent, afterwards one of the following topics and 14 and 33 years old) is inspiring and not principles were introduced: creating any border. As well the different jobs beside dancing (editor, construction • Principle of Gravity, Movement, Expansion. worker, Arabic teacher), the different studies • Arise the back and letting fall the chest. (Physic, English…), or schooling.” • Principle of simultaneity. • The hands connected to the back. • No movement of the arms, the For Biography see page 17 movement is coming from the back. • The six doors of the body, hands, feet, head and perineum.

Choreographic atelier

In the choreographic atelier the trainees created dances that dealt with the following topics throughout the month: • The recalling of a memory of a moment of deep contradiction in the trainees’ life. • Wanting to move, but not being able to.

32 YANTE . youth, art & levante in a small performance that was presented on the 4.2.3 15.10.2013. The performance programme was as Intensive Module VI follows: From a Story to Choreography 1. “Palestine Impressions“ 2. “Chair dance” by Anna Sokolow from her October Choreography “Rooms” Wilfried van Poppel & Amaya Lubigt 3. “Repertory” by Susanne Linke from her Choreography “Frauenballet” Class description 4. “Dreams” soli and duos Module six was held by the Belgian choreographer, Wilfried van Poppel and the Spanish dancer, The performance can be seen on youtube under Amaya Lubigt. The module consisted of an the following link. introduction to dance history and repertoire, http://youtu.be/naOCel6w9pU with a focus on its utilisation in a community http://youtu.be/MSelGUs97Tk context and the building up of presentations/ performances. 15.10.2012 inViTATion Open class Like most previous modules, classes were split into two sections: a dance class in the first 90 minutes followed by dance history and repertoire section with an eye on composition for the following شاركونا! !four hours. The dance classes focused on modern Join us يسعدنا دعوتكم لحضور التدريب dance techniques and the quality of movement We would like to invite you to our المفتوح وذلك يوم االثنين القادم ,showing this coming Monday 15 تشرين أول 2012 وذلك في تمام ,of the trainees. The dance history and repertoire 15.10.2012 starting at 6:00 pm

الساعة السادسة ًمساء في نادي section focused on post - 1970’s expressionistic at Ramallah Youth club (Al-Far شباب رام اهلل ، عمارة الفار )خلف عمارة dance as follows: Building, city center behind al-natsheh النتشة( الطابق السادس. .(building, 6.floor

المشاركون paRticipants في برنامج تدريب المدربين: :in the training of trainers program عبد الحليم، عدنان، بتول، جهاد، كامل، ,Abed-ElHalim, Adnan, Batoul, Jihad, Kamel منار، مراد، نشوى، عمر، رأفت، سوسن، ,Brief introduction to the beginnings of Modern Manar, Murad, nashwa, omar, Ra’fat, Sawsan .1 شهد ، سما ر . .Dance with a focus on Laban, Wigman, and Shahd, Summar المدربون tRaineRs أمايا لوبايغت أوبيغوزو )اسبانيا( (Amaya Lubeigt oRBEGoZo (Spain ويلفريد ڤان بوبل )هولندا( (Kinetic Pantomime” in the work of Doris Wilfried VAn PoPPEL (netherlands“ Humphrey and Charles Wiedmann.

هذا التدريب المفتوح يأتيكم ضمن اطار مشروع أنا قادر This open class comes within the framework of the I على الحركة / تدريب المدربين. للمزيد من المعاومات CAN MOVE project of Training the Trainers. For more information about the program and how to join please حول المشروع و كيفية االنضمام الرجاء زيارة موقعنا .visit our web page االلكتروني. .Expressionistic dance in Germany .2 هذا المشروع بمساهمة من : :With the kind support of • Susanne Linke: The trainees learnt some

movements from her Choreography AUSTRIA PALESTINE E-MAIL & WEB Stumpergasse 57/58, 1060 Vienna 3. Al-jami’a Street, 72100 Ramallah [email protected] Mobile: +43 (0) 676 3193323 Mobile: +972 (0) 592 123216 / www.yante-icanmove.org Tel/Fax: +43 (0) 1 9717946 +972 (0) 599 795907 “Frauenballet” from 1978. YOUTH, ART,  LEVANTE • Pina Bausch: The trainees learnt some movements from her Choreography “Orpheo and Euridice” from 1975. 3. Expressionistic dance in America • Anna Sokolow: The trainees learnt some movements from her Choreography “Rooms” from 1955 and were given the assignment of creating a composition to the theme of the choreography “Dreams in life”. The studied repertoire and material choreographed by the trainees were put together

33 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013

Amaya Lubeigt Amaya Lubeigt was born in San Sebastian, Spain. Wilfried van Poppel From 1985-88 she studied modern dance at the Instituto de Teatro y Danza in Barcelona, and Wilfried van Poppel studied modern dance and from1988-91 at the Folkwang Hochschule in composition at Columbia College in Chicago. He Essen, Germany. Followed by two years of special is a freelance dancer, choreographer and mime studies with choreographer and dance educator player in Holland, the USA and Germany. In1993, Jean Cébron. From 1989 to 1994 Amaya guested he was honoured by the first Dance World with Ballet Essen, the Folkwang Dance Studio and Congress in San Francisco, for his contribution to the Wuppertal Dance Theater (Pina Bausch). the art form of dance. Since 1992 she has worked with the From 1994 to 2000 he was engaged as a dancer choreographer Susanne Linke and Urs Dietrich, at the Bremer Tanztheater under the direction first at the Folkwang Dance Studio, and since of Susanne Linke. Since 2000, he choreographs 1994/95 up until summer 2007 at the Bremen primarily for and with children and young people. Dance Theatre. Since 2008 Amaya has been (Including the MOKS at the Bremer Theater) In dancing with DE LooPERS, dance theater for 2003 he founded DE LooPERS dance theatre children and youth and is the artistic assistant of for children and young people. He was the DE LooPERS. In November 2008 she was head initiator and project manager of Dance4Life of training and choreographic assistant, together Germany, artistic director of ACT Bremen, with Wilfried van Poppel, for the choreographer worked for the Music Center of Broadcasting Royston for his choreography “Spring in Autumn”. in Hilversum, with Royston Maldoom and the In the summer 2010 Amaya was assistant director Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra / Salzburg and teacher during the International Summer Festival. Wilfried choreographed productions and Academy “Art conquers Borders” in Bremen. children’s Christmas tales at theatres in Bremen, She guested with “Tanztheater Bremen” in spring Klagenfurt and Brunswick. and summer 2012 for the reconstruction of His projects and productions have been shown Reinhild Hoffmanns Dance theater production in several countries and he has taught at schools, “Callas”. Amaya teaches modern dance at the universities and dance studios in Holland, Youth Company “Young Artists”. Germany Mexico, Spain, Italy, South Korea.

34 YANTE . youth, art & levante 4.2.4 Intensive Module VII Communication and Non Violence

November Natasha Aruri

Class description

Module seven can be considered as an Selected Pictures from Day 1 “introduction” into issues of communication, with basic theoretical information and some exercises. However, it cannot be considered as sufficient. To improve the communication skills of the participants some follow up from the project team was needed, as well as dedication and perseverance from the participants themselves towards enhancing their communication skills based on the newly acquired information. The following topics were addressed in this module: • Non-Verbal Communication • Charting of main Concepts: 1. Facial Expressions, Body movements + Posture 2. The Body: clothing (color) + hair + self- • Violent vs. non-Violent Communication image • Introduction to Non-Violent 3. The Face: gestures / the smile // Communication emotions, identities + masks 4. Eye Contact + Inter-personal perception • link: http:www.youtube.com/ 5. Touch – where are your hands? watch?v=a3zSNxE37OM 6. Proxemics : Space vs. Personal space 7. Vocal Paralanguage: volume + pitch + • The NVC method is presented: tone + speed/tempo 1. Cultural roots of violent communication: Who’s Right vs. Can we agree? • Human Communication: 2. Language of ‘shame’ vs. language of 1. 7% of our words ‘curiosity’ 2. 38% of vocal characteristics: tone, volume, 3. Observation – Feeling – Need – Request inflection 4. Avoiding judgment: words to avoid 3. 55% of body language and facial expressions • The 4 Ds of Disconnection • Understanding Non-Verbal • The differences between: Assertive, communication through (mute) games Non-assertive, Aggressive 1. Stack the Deck 2. Psychic Shake • Compassion, Empathy, Receiving 3. Copy Cat empathetically, Expressing Honestly 4. Wordless Acting (pre-given dialogue) 5. Statue Building & Acting Emotions • Role-playing “It takes two to Tango” 6. Movement Circle 7. Back-to-Back conversation

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External sources for exercises: http://extension.unh.edu/4h/4hpubs/verbcomm.pdf http://www.livestrong.com/article/154739-exercises- for-verbal-communication-skills/ http://www.ehow.com/list_6018794_activities- verbal-communication-skills.html • Group Work: Dynamics, Barriers , Organization • Introduction to Interpersonal Communication 1. the 6 blocks of communication 2. the tools of communication Concept 3. the information we get from the different tools of communication • Verbal Communication: Speeches + self- 4. tools to accomplish thorough presentation understanding of the other party: • Conversation & Self-Presentation • Verification 1. First Impression • Question making 2. Body Language 3. Planning and Giving a Speech or • Close-ended Presentation • Open-ended • Practical excercises: • One-point solution 1. Checking perceptions • Loaded Question 2. Listening and Inferring 1. Acknowledge 3. Eyewitnesses 2. Silence 4. Giving Directions 1 3. Encouragement 5. Word Description 6. Giving Directions 2 • Group Work: Obstacles and Addressing the Problem 1. Obstacles to group work 2. Evaluating 3. Problems MUST be addressed and solved to avoid escalation. So how? 4. Tools to solve interpersonal conflicts • Written Communication & Communication in Projects • Writing in General 1. Target 2. The purpose of writing 3. Structure of Text 4. Writing 5. Revision and editing • Writing in Group Work • Writing a Concept Paper 1. Cover page > Title + Who is presenting + contacts 2. Preface / Introduction > What is this document? 3. Purpose / need / context / rationale > Why is this important? 4. Project Description + goals/aims > What will be done + project specifications? 5. Methodology > How will you achieve your goals? Team? Timeframe?

36 YANTE . youth, art & levante 6. Budget > expected costs of this project? • Group Work: Practical Exercise “All I can say for today is that I am overwhelmed with the excitement of the participants, and how strongly they seem to believe in their group assignment! They are very positive; they are seriously scratching their brains towards making a good job. They are thinking of practical measure, and are not leaving options off the table. Well, their euphoria and confidence reminds of beginner-times, when one believes s/ he could change the world, which even though at this point I know is not realistic, yet it is good Natasha Aruri to see that they behold this spirit, and I just hope it lasts long with them!” Holder of B.Sc. Architectural Engineering (2006, BZU, Palestine), MSc. International Cooperation • Presentation, wrap-up, closing discussion & Urban Development (2009, TU-Darmstadt, Germany) and M.Arch in Housing, Urbanization “One observation was that of Sawsan’s presence. and Sustainability in Development Contexts She is shy, but she is actually strong!” (2010, UI-Catalunya, Spain). Currently a full- time doctoral candidate at ARUS – Advanced “Summar was highly interested in this new perspective Research in Urban Systems, UDE. on “language”, I guess she was questioning in her Work experience spreads over urban consultancy, mind how to ever again trust witnesses as a lawyer!” architecture, research, teaching, group-training, and management. Activities feature an interplay between disciplinary work and socio-political grassroots activism; between Architecture/ Urbanism on one side, and management, communication, coordination, and leadership training on the other. Work and practice covers projects of different scales in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Palestine. Since 2008, particular attention has been given to research and development of analytical and comparative capabilities. Hitherto research has been focused on development- practice-oriented city planning discourse, and what has become known as the “development industry”. The Masters thesis research sheds light on the foreign-aid-led development processes that took place in the city of “Ramallah” post the signature of the Oslo Accords, namely socio- spatial impacts. My current research expands on the topic of Ramallah via investigating scenarios for the future transformation of the city given the social-economic-geopolitical setting, and the need for tools of planning for uncertainty, resilience, and simply, creative imagination.

37 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013 4.2.5 Dance Technique November/December Lina Höhne

Class description

In a 5 Weeks Process, Lina´s work focused on strengthening the technique of the trainees and giving them improvisation material to enrich the Lina Höhne outside form and the inside movements. Her Born in Berlin in 1985. As a conductor Höhne Technique-Work is influenced by Release and graduated with distinction from the Vocational Chladek Technique. Her Improvisation-Work School for Music Bad Königshofen in Bavaria. She is influenced by Contact Improvisation, BMC also studied music and dance education at the and Gaga. Lina focused on certain body parts- Mozarteum in Salzburg and currently finished especially the foot- and aimed to enrich the her BA with distinction in Contemporary Dance trainees’ perception of skeletal-structures, organs Education at the Vienna Conservatory and the and various body fluids. The main idea through Jerusalem Academy for Music and Dance. Höhne the 5 weeks was to strengthen the alignment of also studied with Jaroslav Cemerek (CZ), Peter the trainees. To build up a stable ground – working Beil (AT), Mirva Makkinen (FI), Helmi Vent (DE), on the feet and the axis of the legs. A main part Tamas Geza Moricz (HU), Malvgren Gerbes of the classes took place on the floor; aiming (FR), Nina Martin (US) and Mans Erlandson (SE) provide clarity in the 3 forces: impulse, gravity and a.o. Since February 2008 she is a holder of the body-behaviour. Floor-work exercises focused on evangelisches Studienwerk Villigst e.V. scholarship strengthening the centre, making it visible to the of the German Government for highly talented trainees as a guiding force in movement. Lina Students. Her duet with the Egyptian dancer, worked with a lot of repetition of phrases and Sayed Labib “Stock auf Stein,” won the Fidelio exercises, to provide the group with clarity on Competition in Vienna in March 2011. The duo their development through the 5 weeks and to was invited to perform in the Arada International induce stability inside the ever changing teacher- Art Festival in Istanbul in May 2011. In 2013 constellation. Lina won the Startstipendium 2013 of the In the time while Lina was teaching, the Gaza BMUKK in Vienna for her latest Project «the War, “Operation Pillar of Defense,” took place. third generation». As a dancer, Höhne performed This reality outside the studio had a great impact in various choreographies of Burkhard Körner on the classes. This impact was positively detoured (DE), Sayed Labib (EG) and Helmi Vent (DE). through relating the work more strongly to the She also assisted the Viennese Organisation “Ich idea of energy and the ability to share energy bin OK” (Children and young people with down over great distances. syndrome) in 2010/11. Höhne is currently active During those five weeks, Lina was simultaneously as a dance teacher and choreographer in Austria, conducting a research for her bachelor-thesis Germany and Palestine. (Identity through dance in Palestine, 2013). Through the individual talks and interviews for her research Lina had the privilege to get personally in touch with the trainees aims, life stories and realities.

38 YANTE . youth, art & levante 4.2.6 6. Hip Joint mechanics:

Intensive Module VIII • Range of motion, turning the legs out in Axis Syllabus flexion and turning in on extension. • Comparison of the leg movement to the arm movement. December • Movement of shoulder girdle as arms go Matthew Smith back compared to movement of pelvis as leg swing into extension. • Pelvis position centralised over hip support: Class description comparison of hip-flexion with the legs in parallel, turned out moderately and then Module eight introduced the axis syllabus: lexicon with full turn out. of human movement principles. Axis syllabus is a • Complex motion of spirals and the hip axis system for cross-correlating movement principles, that affords most stability in the joint. bringing pertinent information about training the • Distal initiation: lifting the leg and following body and movement practice into an accessible the arc of forwards, sideways and external format. This consolidation process helps to clear rotation together. up misunderstandings and question traditions • Proximal Initiation: leg is fixed and the body that are outdated, sponsoring the protection moves around the hip joint. Exploring the and enhancing the skills of today’s dancers and same arcs of distal initiation. athletes, and the re-education of movement teachers, choreographers and project leaders the Throughout the module Matthew guided the world over. trainees through experiments and improvisation sessions bringing awareness of the trainees to the As the end of the second semester, this module head, thorax, and pelvis as a generator/motor of gave the trainees much food-for-thought to take movement. home with them throughout their semester break and into the new year of 2013. The module scanned the human body from the perspective Towards the end of the module, Matthew invited of the axis syllabus. Additionally, Matthew Smith the trainees to compare and feel the difference of presented various therapeutic measures and how movement communicates to other parts of prevention schemes on the physical as well as the the body, when movement is generated from the psychological level. head, thorax, or pelvis. Hence, how the pelvis is close to the center of gravity, and thus, has more Matthew Smith presented the following power to lead locomotion. perspectives to the trainees, guiding them through various experiments that allowed them Through the module, Matthew also set the focus to explore these perspectives, each with his/her on the power of the brain and the underlying individual body. potential of positive thinking. Additionally, one whole session was dedicated to the “Placebo effect”. The Film, “Placebo: Cracking the Code,” 1. Spinal mechanics: the lumbar spine as was screened for the trainees, which led to a support in the vertical position. comprehensive discussion on the role of the mind in shaping not only our experience of the world 2. Spinal mechanics: the side bending motions but also our health. Discussions centerd around to enter and exit the floor. how the mind is the body and the body is the mind and how each exerts its influence. This was 3. Spiral mechanics: turning and the use of the taken as a lead into the importance of practicing same side-bending spiral phenomenon. mental techniques as well as physical ones. Matthew also discussed with the trainees how 4. Spiral mechanics: Standing turning with same negative thinking, as an inherent habit for survival, spiral spine organisation. is less applicable in modern day life, although the situation in Palestine means in some moments 5. Walking and Running: plantar fascia, archilles that it is totally appropriate. The importance of as springs, and the hip/ankle/foot mechanics learning to distinguish different situations and in absorbing shock. mental habits was stressed and exercised with the trainees, baring in mind that developing the habit

39 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013 of positive thinking is less natural to the mind. when he moves. Allowing his focus to go out into the Placebo: Cracking the Code room and not hover down and inward to the sphere http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvbQnMvhQFw of movement that he is in.” The startle reflex was also discussed with the trainees centering on how people who train with their mind can develop resistance to it. Empathy also had its share in this module, with disussions centering on how reading someone’s face is also better done by people who do this kind of training, due to their openness to what they see because their own personal stories/concerns do not get in the way. Matthew’s module concluded with an end of semester showing that was open to the public on the 15.12.2012. The video of this showing can be seen on our YouTube channel under this link. Matthew Smith http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr285G1sZCg He is a dancer/teacher/choreographer from New Zealand. He has worked with Random Scream of Belgium, Carol Brown Dances of London, Company Willi Dorner and Theater Combinat of Austria and with Impure Company of Norway. He has also been performing for the Austrian artist Klaus Obermaier in “apparition” (see photo above), and with the Vospertron Performance Group of New Zealand.He is currently dancing with Anna MacRae - Shock Body in her piece “Loud Enough”, and Impure Company “Now the field is open” with the hip hop crew deepdowndopism. He created a work for the students of SEAD, “Observing Observing” in 2008 and premiered his first evening length in 2011 with the work “Spin” in Zagreb, Croatia for Studio Dance company.When not performing he is busy with education and has taught pilates at P.A.R.T.S and with Babara Mayr at the Pilates Akademie/Vienna. He has taught contemporary technique in Impuls “Kamel has a wonderful approach and is an Tanz and for several dance companies and in the example of how motivation is the primary drive for school S.E.A.D as well as teaching regularly at the change. If he maintains this way of working I am Tanz Quartier/Vienna. In 2011 he taught at the convinced he can go far in dance. He has a natural Nomadic College in Patras Greece.He is in the desire to get upside down. We worked on different MA Programme for Osteopathy at the British ideas to support this. He needs to understand School of Osteopathy in London.He is teaching more how his core co-ordinates the spine when regularly in Berlin, as part of the Axis Hub in Tanz upside down.” Fabrik, Kruezberg. “Abed has a natural sense of using his weight/ momentum and the linking of movement together making him well suited to the phrase material we were working with. Because he was able to do this he was able to let go and fly with the movement which was great to see. He also showed a flare for taking material and improvising with it which is something to be encouraged. He also has a choreographic sense of how movement can be arranged amongst a group. He was a very positive member of class and a motivator to the other trainees. The next step for him would be to work more with where he focuses

40 YANTE . youth, art & levante 4.2.7 Evaluation sem.2

Already with the beginning of Semester II, a While still taking the time schedules of the trainees group of around 15 trainees had more or less into consideration, the duration and number stabilized, where more than 40 persons had of classes in the I CAN MOVE programme joined the I CAN MOVE programme during the were gradually expanded. However the main trial phase of the first semester. Also the financial constraint for the trainees remains the need to security and stability that the financial support of balance between daily obligations (work, studies, the Austrian Development Agency provided to etc.) and the intensive training. This challenge the programme for semesters two through five was also intensified by the many strikes of the reflected positively on the participants who had Palestinian Universities, leading to a shift in the placed their trust in YANTE, its values and mission mid-term and final exams of the Universities. by joining the programme at a stage where it was For example: the YANTE team had originally not clear, whether the programme will be able planned the semester break around the time of to continue or not. Those trainees who gambled final exams for Universities and schools, i.e. mid by joining the programme in the first semester, December – mid January; however, the exams of gradually started sensing the growth in their the Birzeit University were postponed to end of bodies, and minds, hence developing more trust January 2013, which reflected negatively on the in the I CAN MOVE programme. third semester. This semester seemed to be the most stable on The team also observed very positive the level of the participating trainees. Yet there developments amongst the trainees, underlined were also many lessons to be learnt and challenges by a healthy dance practice where not a single to be dealt with along the way. Most importantly, injury was registered throughout semester one the YANTE team realized that at considering the and two. situation in Palestine and the fact the there are few similar programmes in that region the possibility The English language barrier subsided gradually for joining the programme had to be kept open during the second semester, as the trainees throughout the second semester, although the got more acquainted with the necessary dance original plan was to finalise the group of trainees terminology. One of the trainees who deemed by the end of the first semester. himself incapable of constructing any sentence in the English language, was communicating fluently The energy invested throughout the entire first with the instructors by the end of semester two semester towards group establishment became and even learning some German words as well. evident during the second semester. Many group activities took place, among which community The challenge of interpretation for the two activities, such as cleaning the garden of the YANTE hearing impaired participants was partially office and planting some trees. Participants and tackled by the trainees themselves, where two of trainees also cooked meals together, celebrated them attended some courses in Palestinian sign birthdays, and even bid farewell to one of the language and could interpret much of what the trainees as she left Palestine to pursue her instructors were suggesting, however not all. graduate studies in art in the United States of America. Unfortunately, the main challenge in this semester remained that of finding a qualified programme manager, who has an ability to understand the approach of community based art work, and is able and, most importantly, willing to cope with the challenges of building something new and unprecedented from scratch. Yet again, although less than in Semester One, YANTE had a couple of changes of admin personal during this second semester as well. YANTE also expanded the number of the administrative team in this semester.

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4.3 Semester 111 semester content & timeline

The first half of Semester 111 three evolved trainees with more profound teaching technique around the preparation and implementation of and solid class preparation and implementation the performance of “The Rite of Spring / Le Sacre skills. The module consisted of a theoretic part du Printempts”. The semester was supposed to and a practical implementation part with Al- start with module IX, led by the returning artist Mustaqbal School. Mags Byrne, to intensify the trainees teaching skills. However, due to an unfortunate accident, Module XII was held by the dance medicine Ms. Byrne was not able to travel, and her module specialist, Judith Elisa Kaufmann, who provided a had to be moved to May 2013 and thus was the practical and theoretical introduction into dance eleventh module to be held within the I CAN medicine and nutrition. MOVE programme. The semester was concluded with a rather Ms. Ronja Nadler, who was supposed to assist comprehensive period of dance technique Ms. Byrne in her module, was kind enough to classes with the Austrian dancer Eva Maria replace the module with dance technique classes Schaller, whose classes were inspired by counter- focusing on the Bartenieff Fundamentals during technique. During this period, Eva Maria Schaller the second half of January, for that, the I CAN accompanied the trainees in their quest to MOVE team would like to express its deepest expand into the Palestinian communities by gratitude. offering dance classes to women in villages. Additionally, a research team from the Special Unit Starting in February, the entire focus was set on for Peace Intervention in Conflict and Support the performance. A preparatory module was to UNAOC at the Interuniversity Institute of held in the first half of february. The rehearsals Social Development and Peace (IUDESP, Spain) for “The Rite of Spring / Le Sacre du Printempts” joined the I CAN MOVE programme to conduct started mid February and culminated with the ethnographic fieldwork with the Yante trainees in Premiere on the 14.03.2013. Ramallah for 20 days. The goal was to explore the positive impacts of the I CAN MOVE programme The performance was followed by a phase of on the wellbeing of the young trainees, the dance technique classes lead by the Austrian artist social environment, the families and, at the same Mirjam Sögner, who focused on the sequential time, the street children that participated in the order technique in dance. performance of “The Rite of Spring / Le Sacre du Printempts”. The aim of the research team was Module XI with Mags Byrne was then held in to analyze the possible positive effects for non- May 2013. She yet again focused on providing the violence, conflict transformation, social change and human rights in the area.

Phase Year 1 [ 2013 / 2014 ]

Semester Semester III

Calendar month January February March April May June July

Focus Pedagogy & Psychology

Dance Technique Ronja Nadler Performance Performance Mirjam Sögner Eva Maria Eva Maria Eva Maria Schaller Schaller Schaller

Royston Maldoom Nadia Arouri Mags Byrne/ Module week / Nadia Arouri Judith Kaufmann

42 YANTE . youth, art & levante 4.3.1 Dance Technique January Ronja Nadler A “thank you” to her for doing it on such short notice, due to Mags Byne`s accident. Ronja Nadler Class Discription Ronja Nadler is a freelance dancer and dance teacher based in Cologne. With a youth dance Ronja’s Dance Technique class was based strongly group she travelled through Germany and on Barenieff Fundamentals, which are movement performed at the Children`s Dance Festival in techniques that focus on achieving comfort and Peking/China in 2003. Training children and youth ease in the body. This includes smooth flow and in dance in an NGO called Rainbowhouse of improved coordination. Hope Uganda, she discovered dance as a powerful and uniting language, which was the motivation to The work included Patterns of Total Connectivity. make dance to her profession. In 2012 she finished Bartenieff developed the theory of connectivity, 4 years studies of Contemporary Dance and which states that connectivities are the Dance Pedagogy in Cologne. There she danced neuromuscular building blocks of efficient pieces for choreographers such as Julian Rauter, movement. What was transported through Anouk van Djik/Nina Wollny, Nanine Linning, this to the trainees is that by focusing on the Yaron Shamir, Hanoch Ben Dror, Ivan Perez basic coordination patterns in the body, they and choreographed two pieces for the „Young may be able to increase their overall efficiency, Choreographers Platform“ of the University. She coordination and flow of movement. For example, took great inspiration from released based dance Breath as a principal motor for movement, Core- teachers such as Martin Sonderkamp, Frey Faust, Distal- Connectivity, Head- Tail- Connectivity, Nina Wollny and Lily Kiara. She worked with the Developmental patterns, Homologous, Choreographer Vera Sander in the community Homolateral and Cross-lateral- connectivity and dance piece „Come to move“ where mentally especially spirals as an experience for total body and physically disabled children and adults took integration. part, as well as 70-90 year old demented Ronja Nadler worked Bartenieffs theory of elderly people. She developed workshop formats connectivities with the trainees on all levels, “Contemporary Dance for Children“ and individually and with a partner, in sequences, „Improvisation between sound and movement through guided explorations and improvisations. for Dancers and Musicians“ which she is teaching Apart from that, the class focused on establishing a currently in kindergarden, public schools and at greater understanding of feet and leg articulation, university. (tendues, jetés, pliés, turns, jumps,) outward rotation, the alignment of the body, awareness of the moving body in space and developing a greater awareness of the group.

Trainee Feedback

“In improvisational tasks I really could see Abed feeling free and creative, not blocking himself- but handling the task clever and with joy. “ “Kamel is a curious, ambitious trainee, always in great mood and very open and friendly. During class he is very calm, concentrated and hardworking, which is one of the reasons why he has progressed really fast.”

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4. Leadership skills. Trainees learnt what it 4.3.2 means to be a teacher for children. The importance of honesty, and the importance Intensive Module IX of being a role model for the children on Community Dance Practice with the various levels was also coverd, such as being on time, i.e. before the children arrive Street-Children to welcome the children and embrace February their arrival. Also the importance of having Nadia Arouri adequate clothing, and requesting that from the children, as well as the importance of From the 4th through 14th of February, in the 10 showing discipline, engagement, interest, days preceding the rehearsals of the community passion and commitment to the children dance performance “The Rite of Spring / Le were highlighted as essential. Sacre Du Printemps,” targeting street-children / child-labourers, the trainees, together with 5. Guidelines. Various tricks and tweaks of the dance assistants - Mirjam Sögner, Veronika the work in community context were Nadler, and Mia Bilitza - learnt and embodied presented and discussed. The trainees were the choreography and were introduced to given guidelines on how to deal with gender techniques of community work and prepared to issues, issues of discipline, issues of racism deal with some of the challenges that might arise or even “tribal” behaviour amongst children. when working with disadvantaged youth, and The process of creating a community dance combining contrasting social strata. performance in general, as well as the differing The trainees learnt the following in module IX: process that certain choreographers lead, were also explained to the trainees. 1. Choreography. The trainees embodied the movements of the six scenes of “The Rite of Spring / Le Sacre Du Printemps”. They learnt “When teaching one part to how to dance out those scenes. They learnt the over-all plotline of the choreography the others, Abed was very as well as the significance and symbolism of each movement. They also learnt the clear with his announcements rhythmic counts of each movement in the choreography, as well as the musical quos of and could easily bring focus the movements. into the group. He also 2. Warm up. Together with the dance assistance, the trainees set up a warm-up series of organized well when it came movements for the children, ensuring that the to dividing into groups to children have a regular warm-up, where all body parts and muscle groups are activated give them different tasks. He and protected. To help the trainees embody this warm-up, it was practiced on a daily basis showed logical thinking when throughout this module. the question arose of how the 3. Teaching skills. To refresh the trainees teaching skills, and prepare them for dealing position was at one point, he with the specific target group, various teaching tasks were practiced in the group. just went back by reversing The trainees had to teach each other the warm-up series they had set together on a the movement.” daily basis, as well as assisting in teaching each other the movements of the choreography at different stages. At some points, the trainees A video of a rehearsal in this module can be seen were split into two groups, and group was on youtube under the following link. group given the task of learning a part of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sihegerUe0 the choreography from the video, and then https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmHLZlJKBbA teaching it to the other group. For Biography see page 92

44 YANTE . youth, art & levante 4.3.3 creation of posters. Intensive Module X 10. Prepare a press release. Creating a Community Dance 11. Contacting press agencies, reporters and Performance from Communication to televisions by phone and via e-mail. Management 12. Collecting, purchasing and where necessary dyeing costumes. March 13. Preparing props and lighting. Nadia Arouri 14. Importance of book keeping and financial Class Discription transparency.

This module stretched over the rehearsals period 15. To name of few of the managerial tasks they of “The Rite of Spring / Le Sacre Du Printemps” learnt. from the 15.02.2103 to the 27.03.2013. The work and the learning process in this module alternated between sessions where the whole group of trainees were present and active, and other sessions, where a small group of trainees worked together to fulfill a certain task as well as individual sessions and tasks. For the trainees, side by side with the artistic process of creating a community dance performance, this module was a hands-on learning experience of how to organise a community dance performance from A – Z, especially when tackling important social discrepancies as in the case of this performance where street-children / child-labourers were combined with economically priviledged children from private schools. The trainees learnt how to: 1. Look for an adequate rehearsal venue, in terms of facilities and location.

2. Organize and prepare a rehearsal venue, a During this process the trainees also embarked on safe environment for children. important issues of communication and conflict resolution. The trainees learnt how to address 3. Maintain the facilities of the rehearsal venue. their issues of concern to the choreographer and the assistants. They learnt how to protocol 4. Organise public transportation where their meeting and take decisions that concern the necessary. collective. They learnt how to deal with conflicting situations, when a constructive confrontation 5. Communicate with parents in person or by towards conflict resolution fails. Most importantly, phone when necessary. they learnt the importance of being a group and supporting each other, especially then when they 6. Prepare, distribute and collect application “agree to disagree”. At this point the trainees forms, copies of birth certificates or gradually started learning to appreciate their Identification Card’s where necessary. differences just as much their similarities, and hence, to grasp the values behind the following 7. Prepare and run checklists. sentence in the mission statement of YANTE. “Participants express themselves while believing 8. Prepare lists of participants and protocol that the uniqueness of an individual lays in the the attendance of the participants. diversity of the whole.” 9. Organise and run a photo shooting for the For Biography see page 92

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• Movement for free by making use of human 4.3.4 anatomy. Dance Technique • Always two directions to any movement – April making it full. Mirjam Sögner • Release instead of relax.

Class Discription • Suspension - movement and timing of weight. Based on sequential order, Mirjam`s Dance Technique class was built on 3 phases: Phase one • Radiating/sharing instead of keeping your focused on the Horizontal, Phase two on the aspiration for yourself. Vertical, and Phase three on the combination of the Horizontal and the Vertical. • Dance is an endless transition. Phase one: the Horizontal, focused on body • Artistry in every single step – being bored is awareness, getting grounded and making the your problem. body available through floorwork, bodywork and floorbar. The main principals in this phase were, In addition to the Dance Techniques classes, sequential order, spirals, rolling, entering and extra hours were given to introduce the trainees exiting the floor, gravity, weight, breath, big and to the history of modern and contemporary small as well as release and strength. dance, discussing and hearing stories, inspirations, aspirations, context, work, legacy and influences Phase two: the Vertical, focused on skills, craft of the most outstanding figures like Loie Fuller, and strength, coordination, articulation and Isadora Duncan, Ruth St. Denis, Martha Graham legwork, using the floorbar and basic elements and Doris Humphrey, José Limón, Cunningham, of modern techniques and ballet combined with Trisha Brown, Steve Paxton, Yvonne Reiner and contemporary principles (which were worked Pina Bausch. on in the previous week). Exercising the body parts separately by strengthening and training awareness at the same time using techniques such as pilates, spiral dynamics and release above others. The beginning of every class was dedicated to one specific body part, which was related to the muscolaskeletal system. This was accompanied by some theoretical and anatomical background information about where a specific movement starts and which muscles, joints and bones are involved in this motion. In the next step, trainees were provided with a very specific set of exercises targeting the smaller and deeper muscle layers (Pilates) to locate and train the necessary muscles in their own body, which they had worked on. Phase three combined phase one (Horizontal) and phase two (Vertical,) by translating release- trainee Feedback based principles into the upright positions. This was done by mixing, combining and applying the “Sawsan – Enormous improvement! If I look back theory. Focuses were on arms as a movement at the Sawsan I have experiences in my first classes initiator, based on release-based principle in an and the woman I am teaching now I almost cannot upright position and how to relax versus how to believe that this is the same dancer! In this short release. time she managed to take a huge amount of pressure and stress out and just work. Which had Some of the crucial principles that Mirjam worked the effect that all of a sudden her body would get on with the students were: more released and available – a quality she was far away from due to all the stress.”

46 YANTE . youth, art & levante “Summar – Has enriched the classes throughout with a great presence, a very attentive spirit and 4.3.5 a lovely focus. She is enthusiastic, positive and not only a hard but also smart worker, who consequently Intensive Module & invests in applying new, given knowledge. She takes Performance XI corrections very serious and hardly choses for the easy way out of technical problems – the reason why she Teaching Dance to children aged managed to progress that much. She understands 8-12, part II complex movement mechanisms quickly – even if this does not always happen instantly.” May Mags Byrne

Class Dsicription

Module IX was originally planned to take place from January 15th to February 1st 2013. However, Ms. Byrne had an unfortunate accident in the beginning of January, where she fell down and broke her chest rib. This unfortunate accident, on such short notice, rendered impossible any form of travelling, notwithstanding teaching, for Ms. Byrne. It was also too short of a notice for either Mirjam Sögner the organiser YANTE or for Ms. Byrne to organise a replacement. Ms. Byrne was also involved in a production throughout the month of April that Born in 1990 near Salzburg/Austria. In 2008 Mirjam meant the earliest we could hold the module in first studied pedagogy for contemporary dance at Palestine was beginning of May 2013. The fact the conservatory in Vienna. Though in the same that most of the YANTE trainees are university year she got accepted for the dance/maker BA students, where the universities had their second program at ArtEZ Arnhem in the Netherlands – exams in the first half of May and the final exams one of the internationally predominant educations in the second half of May, this reflected negatively for contemporary dance – where she is currently on the attendance of the YANTE trainees who attending her 4th and last year. Besides her had to balance their University achievements ordinary dance technique training including Ballet, with the rigorous I CAN MOVE programme. modern styles such as Graham, Cunningham and Limón, as well as various contemporary The possibility of finding replacement for Ms. techniques - Floorwork, Counter Technique, Body Byrne for this module was investigated thoroughly Awareness, improvisation, Release - Mirjam also by the local staff of I CAN MOVE and the artistic follows an additional, interdisciplinary art theory direction of YANTE. The possibility was discarded and research program (Honours Program) and due to the following reasons: a making/choreography course to deepen her specific interests in artistic research, creation and 1. The long-term cooperation with Ms. Byrne interdisciplinary collaboration. During her time that has only been positive, built on mutual at ArtEZ Mirjam worked with many well-known respect, appreciation, comradeship and choreographers such as Ann van den Broek, Joeri support since spring 2011. Dubbe, Ivan Perez, Julian Barnett, Sara Lourenco 2. Module IX Teaching Children aged 8-12, amongst others. In summer 2012 she danced part II was planned to build up on Module at “internationally mixed”, an interdisciplinary, III Teaching Children aged 8-12, part I that European exchange project (D/ NL/ E) with a was held by Ms. Byrne in June 2012 with four Europe-wide tour (www.internationally-mixed.eu). Palestinian Schools, one of which was the At the moment she is touring with her latest Mustaqbal School. Hence it was important creation “OOZE” (https://vimeo.com/52219808) for the continuation and deemed more and is working as a dancer with Jasper van Luijk constructive that Ms. Byrne holds Module IX, for Cadans Festival Den Haag. even if 4 months later than planned. In Module IX, Mags Byrne built on the knowledge acquired by the trainees in module II and enhanced their teaching skills in community

47 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013 and school contexts through more theory and 2.3.1 Structure and Content of Training practice. The module as a continuation to the Each class included teaching of dance movements, previous one also focused on the age category 8 as well as theory about the overall theme of – 12. In this module the trainees deepened their whales and oceans. Space was given to the knowledge of the different class structures, and children for creativity where they could make the various responsibilities they bear as teachers, their own movements. such as class safety measures, class planning and important pedagogical and psychological concepts a) Warm Up necessary for the delivery of a dance class for The class started by asking the children to stand children. The module focused on developing the in silence. Then it was explained to them how this trainees delivery skills, concentraiting on how to is hard even for professional dancers to do what encourage and then work with the children’s they are about to do, hence any child able to do creativity, structuring that work for a performance, it is good one and will be a good dancer in the learning what is involved in the delivery of a small future. performance and building relationships with As a second step the children were given the schools and school teachers. following action words: stretch, run, jump, turn, melt and explode. 1. Module Part I: Theory b) Exercise For more information on the theoretical part of • Exercise: Children were instructed to stretch, the modules focused on class planning please see as if they were waking up in the morning and section 4.1.5 page 22. the sunlight touches their faces. They were asked to put one leg beside the other and 2. Module Part II: Practical Implementation in to make a big circle with their arms from the Al-Mustaqbal School back and down while doing so going down until they sit on their legs. This exercise was 2.1. Description repeated. The work with the children in the school was • Exercise: Walking in the space: Children were composed of different aspects; there were asked to walk through the room counting creative classes that led to the performance of a from one to eight with each step; while playing choreography. The theme for the choreography with the dynamic from fast to very slow. was a “Whale”, inspired by and based on the • Exercise: Children were asked to run on the poetry book “Whale Nation” by Heathcote spot; then open and close their legs while Williams. The intention was to look at the clapping their hands above their head. Then development of dance from words and stories, they were asked to run around the spot, in order to present performances that have a where they were standing, on eight counts. theme or accessible idea. Then to stretch again as waking up in the morning, shrinking down and to explode like 2.2. Participants a big volcano and after turn in a circle on the • Children: 50 children aged 10 – 12 from spot. grades 5 and 6 of the Mustaqbal school. • The order that was given to the action words, • Choreographer/Trainer: Mags Byrne and the movements assigned to them were • Trainees: 6 Trainees: 2-3 Trainees per group done first without music. Then music is added • Audience of performance: about 100 (more to the movement. It is important that the than half of the parents and Friends + some same sequence is repeated in every class school students) with the same music. 2.3. Training Sessions and Performance c) Lead In Training: After the warm up, in which the action words were chosen as a stepping-stone for the movements Saturday 11.05.2013: and choreography of the performance the 4 hours training Group I (08:00 – 14:00) trainees start with the lead-in section. In the lead- Sunday 12.05.2013: in the trainees start introducing to the children 4 hours training Group II (08:00 – 14:00) the movements of the dance while explaining Thursday 16.05.2013: to them what each movement stands for, what 2 hours training Group I + II (08:00 – 12:00) it symbolises, and what is the meaning of it. For example illustrating how it looks like to dance Performance: the river and how it runs to end up in the sea, Thursday 16.05.2013 at 12:00p.m

48 YANTE . youth, art & levante followed by what happens in the sea like the appreciation for their efforts and are praised for Whirlpool and what happens to the sea in this the commitment, engagement, discipline, and the case. great energy they invested as well as the creativity they provided. d) Main Section In the main Section the children were gathered 2.3.2 Performance Day around in a circle with the trainees, who Date: 16/5/2013 08:00-13:45 explained the dance is about a big whale. The The performance took place at the Mustaqbal trainees introduced the theoretic knowledge School. It consisted of the warm up in front of the about whales, which is an important part of the audience to show discipline and the movements dance. The trainees raised the awareness of the that have been learnt in the warm-up. It as also children to the situation of whales, and how they a symbolic way to illustrate the importance of are being treated. The trainees explained: a warm-up. After the warm-up the children presented the performance of the choreography • how big whales are that they created in the training session on the • what they eat theme of the whale. • how they don’t attack nor hurt humans • how humans kill whales The YANTE Trainees and their Trainer Mags • but also why humans kill whales: to produce Byrne explained to the audience the process that make- up, cloths… etc the children had undergone and the theme that Towards the end children were encouraged to they worked on to prepare the audience and also come up with ideas on what can they do to help to stimulate empathy and understanding amongst whales from dying and how they as humans can the audience as well as encourage and empower be not only active citizens, but also conscience the children before going on stage: “Look at how citizens. The trainees emphasized on the disciplined your kids are (even if they are not) look importance of choices we, each and every single at how they are standing without moving (even if individual, make in our everyday life, such as which they are not), look how strong and powerful they products we choose and buy in a supermarket or are. Look how quiet and committed they are. Do shop. How can we support a cause and become you know that the important thing in learning is active citizens. how to be quiet and how to listen? Do you also know that the performance you will be seeing ------A short 15 minutes break was given to was created by your children?”. the children to eat and drink ------e) Culmination After the break the creation part was started where the kids where able to create movements

ﻳﺴﻌﺪﻧﺎ دﻋﻮﺗﻜﻢ ﻟﺤﻀﻮر ﻋﺮض اﻻﻃﻔﺎل ﺿﻤﻦ ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ We would like to invite you to our showing at the ﺗﺪرﻳﺐ اﻟﻤﺪرﺑﻴﻦ. ﻓﻲ ﻣﺪارس اﻟﻤﺴﺘﻘﺒﻞ – رام ا، اﻟﻄﻴﺮة .according to the tasks given by the trainees. For Al-Mustaqbal School, in Al-Tireh, Ramallah example: the children were grouped in pairs to اﻟﺨﻤﻴﺲ ﻓﻲ ﺗﻤﺎم اﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ اﻟﺜﺎﻧﻴﺔ ﻋﺸﺮة ﻇﻬﺮwork as partners where one person is taking care Thursday, at 12:00 PM ² اﻟﻤﺸﺎرﻛﻮن PARTICIPAINS ﻓﻲ ﺑﺮﻧﺎﻣﺞ ﺗﺪرﻳﺐ اﻟﻤﺪرﺑﻴﻦ :in the training of trainers program Abed-ElHalim, Adnan, Hala, Jihad, Kamel, Murad, ﻋﺒﺪ اﻟﺤﻠﻴﻢ، ﻋﺪﻧﺎن، ﺣﻼ، ﺟﻬﺎد، ﻛﺎﻣﻞ، ﻣﺮاد، ﻧﺸﻮة، راﻓﺖ، of the other person who is hurt. The wonderful Nashwa, Raf ’at, Sawsan, Shahd, Summar, Tayseer. ﺳﻮﺳﻦ، ﺷﻬﺪ، ﺳﻤﺎر، ﺗﻴﺴﻴﺮ

اﻟﻤﺪرﺳﺔ اﻟﻤﺸﺎرﻛﺔ ideas and movements that were created by PARTICIPATING SCHOOL ﻣﺪرﺳﺔ اﻟﻤﺴﺘﻘﺒﻞ: اﻟﺼﻔﻮف اﻻﺑﺘﺪاﺋﻴﺔ اﻟﺨﺎﻣﺲ واﻟﺴﺎدس the children fascinated the trainees. It was also Al-Mustaqbal School grades 5 and 6 اﻟﻤﺪرﺑﺔ TRAINER ﻣﺎﻏﺰ ﺑﻴﺮن " اﻳﺮﻟﻨﺪا" (inspiring for the trainees to see empathy fostered Mags BYRNE (Ireland اﻟﻤﺪرﺑﻴﻦ اﻟﺴﺎﺑﻘﻴﻦ FORMER TRAINERS ﻟﻴﻨﺎ ﻫﻮﻧﻪ (اﻟﻨﻤﺴﺎ / اﻟﻤﺎﻧﻴﺎ)، ﻣﺎرﻳﺎ ﻟﻮﺳﻴﺎ ارﻏﻮن راﻣﻴﺮز between the children. Lina HÖHNE (Austria / Germany), Maria Lucia AGON RAMIREZ (Colombia), Mohan C. THOMAS (Germany), (ﻛﻮﻟﻮﻣﺒﻴﺎ)، ﻣﻮﻫﺎن ﺗﻮﻣﺎس (اﻟﻤﺎﻧﻴﺎ)، ﻣﻴﺮﻳﺎم ﺳﻮﻏﻨﺮ Mirjam SÖGNER (Austria), Matthew william SMITH (اﻟﻨﻤﺴﺎ)، ﻣﺎﺛﻴﻮ وﻳﻠﻴﻢ ﺳﻤﻴﺚ (ﻧﻴﻮزﻳﻠﻨﺪا). .(The movements created by the children were (New Zealand ﻫﺬا اﻟﻌﺮض ﻳﺄﺗﻴﻜﻢ ﺿﻤﻦ اﻃﺎر ﻣﺸﺮوع أﻧﺎ ﻗﺎدر ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺤﺮﻛﺔ then all put and rehearsed into the dance that This performance comes within the framework / ﺗﺪرﻳﺐ اﻟﻤﺪرﺑﻴﻦ .ﻟﻠﻤﺰﻳﺪ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻤﻌﺎوﻣﺎت ﺣﻮل اﻟﻤﺸﺮوع of the I CAN MOVE project of Training the Trainers. For more information about the وﻛﻴﻔﻴﺔ اﻻﻧﻀﻤﺎم اﻟﺮﺟﺎء زﻳﺎرة ﻣﻮﻗﻌﻨﺎ اﻻﻟﻜﺘﺮوﻧﻲ. program and how to join please visit our was then performed on the 16.05.2013. website. f) Cool Down To finish the class children were brought together in the space to calm them down and to bring their minds back to reality. Not only is it important that children do not go out of class impersonating the character of whales, for they could hurt themselves, but also it is important for children AUSTRIA PALESTINE E-MAIL & WEB Stumpergasse 57/58, 1060 Vienna 3. Al-jami’a Street, 72100 Ramallah [email protected] Mobile: +43 (0) 676 3193323 Mobile: +972 (0) 592 123216 / www.yante-icanmove.org Tel/Fax: +43 (0) 1 9717946 +972 (0) 599 795907 to realise the safety a dance spaces provides for :065) "35 ç-&7"/5& ﻫﺬا اﻟﻤﺸﺮوع ﺑﻤﺴﺎﻫﻤﺔ them to be creative and unleash their fantasy. With the kind support of In the cool-down section the children are shown

49 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013

The Trainees and Trainer also explained to Teachers are always doing and giving the the audience what the movements mean and best they can within their scope of abilities. symbolize, e.g. “You see when the children move Teachers will learn from you, how to control like this, it represents the sea, or river, etc.”. Mags their kids. Byrne also explained to the parents how the 14. Kids, parents and schools should be happy children learn and develop their understanding of after you finish. the topics as well as other skills through dancing. 15. A nice finishing sentence could be: “I believe they all did good today.” 4.2. Special Moments 4. Reflection of Students - Lessons Learnt Trainee Summar Rasras: “There are a lot of special moments I had, but the most special one was 4.1. Important facts to notice and be aware of with the teacher of the kids. He came to help us as a trainer and he was treating the children in a way I did not like. In order to let them stand in silence he used 1. Always think about why you dance and what a military way by shouting and standing in line the experience is that you get. doing soldiers movements. I really hated that and 2. On the first class you should let them know asked Mags to ask him to go out because its not your voice and your rules. our way of teaching at all, and we are against what 3. On the first class teach them 3 action words is happening in schools. But Mags refused and said like, run, jump and turn. lets show him our way. Mags let the children do 4. When splitting them into two groups, one whatever they want, even getting crazy, and by group watches and the second dances. counting, they have to be ready and silent at ten. You explain to the children that there is no Then the day of their performance, the teacher judgment. came back to help and he used our way to ask 5. Always use can you, could you, look how he/ the children to be silent and ready. It was amazing, she does that. If children don´t have an idea my tears were falling down.” you can help them by using words like: up, middle, down, right, left, back, etc. and fast or For Biography see page 25 slow. 6. Always give all your energy in the class For more information on the pedagogy modules because if you give 80% they will give you please see section 5.2 page 77 50%, if you give 50% they will not move their bottoms. 7. You should give them positive energy and be encouraging, e.g. you are amazing, look at them and look at that movement. 8. Children should always be encouraged. Trainers should use positive language and encourage them by telling them they do beautiful movements and that they are good. 9. When you ask them to go into groups and someone is left, stand beside him/her and ask him/her which group he/she would like to join. 10. If a child misses out on a class where groups were formed let the children know that they have the freedom to choose to join in the dancing with one of the groups, however don’t push them to join if they feel uncomfortable. 11. You should encourage the boys to dance but don´t kick anyone out, you want to change the community. 12. To calm them down and get their attention, let them walk through the space and say: “I´ll count from 10 to 1 when I have finished and when I look back I want to see everyone on his place.” 13. Don´t start a fight with the teacher in a hosting school no matter what he/she does.

50 YANTE . youth, art & levante 51 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013

for a healthy sexual relationship and reproductive 4.3.6 capacities. Further on she addressed the topics of anorexia and bulimia, their dangers and how –as a Intensive Module XII dance teacher- to detect them within participants, Dance Medicine and most importantly of course, how to deal with such cases, especially with teenagers. May Judith E. Kaufmann

Class Discription

This module builds up on the trainees’ basic knowledge of anatomy and physiology acquired throughout their training and in module III. This module provided a more profound understanding of the structure of the body and its organs and how to - in this sense - use them more organically. Judith Elisa Kaufmann reviewed the trainees knowledge on the cells, fibres (Collagen fibres, Judith Elisa Kaufmann Elastic fibres, Reticular fibres), and tissues (Epithel tissues, connective and supporting tissues, Fat tissues, Muscle tissues, Nerve tissues). She focused Judith Elisa Kaufmann worked as ballet and on the importance of fascia as connective and contemporary soloist in Europe and USA, supportive tissues in the body. She presented where she performed in dance- and music-clips, Thomas W. Myers’ “Myofacial Trains” system and musicals and Dance-Theatre-Productions and has focused on the connection of the fascia and the been choreographer and director for dance and lymph system. theatre productions for nearly 20 years. Judith also introduced the trainees to the brain, In 1999, she founded her school for dance & its different parts and their functions. She set the drama and academy for teacher’s training and focus on the role the brain plays in dancing.To dancemedicine (www.bodyartandexpression. really “store“ a movement in the brain, a dancer com). Having been a pioneer in dancemedicine has to repeat it about 500 times; the more often in German-speaking countries, she is still teaching it is repeated, the quicker and more intense the internationally in the field of dancemedicine, nervous conduction becomes. For a movement choreography and teacher’s training. Judith to become more and more fine-tuned, the dancer Elisa Kaufmann has published on the field of needs to know the movement really well so that dancemedicine and pedagogics, written over 20 the cerebellum takes over the control and allows theatre- and screenplays and published 2 novels the cortex to be released from its duty. in 2001. Her main focus is on the training of young dancers, teachers and choreographers Judith E. Kaufmann shared valuable medical internationally whom she prepares for the high information with the trainees, who as future dance standards in performance with her successful teachers in communities, will always be confronted programme of technique and the principles of with situations where such information will prove dancemedicine. to be valuable and indispensable. For example: Judith Elisa Kaufmann‘s work for institutions such motion in general was once considered as not as tamed, iadms, yante icanmove, Koordination sophisticated, in terms of “cognition“ (elevated von Gesundheit, Kunst & Bewegung among others brain work). However, science knows HOW are non-profital with the aim to spread the much the brain of a dancer has to work and principles of dancemedicine for the sake of young that even the parts of the brain responsible for dancers. She founded her own society 2007 to logic or decision-making are also responsible for support young artists and children with illnesses carrying out movement and vice versa! or poverty. Judith E. Kaufmann set a special focus in her module on well-balanced nutrition, its importance not only for a healthy dance career, but also for the balance of hormone production in the body, i.e.

52 YANTE . youth, art & levante the Master programme Peace, Conflict and 4.3.7 Development Studies from the Special Unit for Peace Intervention in Conflict and Support to Dance Technique UNAOC at the Interuniversity Institute of Social May - July Development and Peace (IUDESP, Spain) joined Eva Maria Schaller the classes from the 11th to the 26th of June 2013. The research team conducted ethnographic Class Discription fieldwork with the Yante trainees in Ramallah for 20 days to explore the positive impacts of Eva Maria worked in her classes with different the I CAN MOVE programme on the wellbeing formats, sometimes to complement each other, of the young trainees, the social environment, for example using improvisation to deepen the families and, at the same time, the street the understanding of new information learned children that participated in the performance of in a technical exercise. She also worked on “The Rite of Spring / Le Sacre du Printempts”. improvisation in itself, introducing different tasks The aim of the research team was to analyze the and methods: playing with structural elements possible positive effects for non-violence, conflict such as time and space, or instant compositioning, transformation, social change and human rights in as well as image-based improvisations, the area. improvisations dealing with a specific physical The research team, together with the I CAN task and performative exercises that also have MOVE trainees created an artistic short-film an improvisational character. The classes were about the I CAN MOVE programme, focusing on divided into two parts, one dealing with technical the trainees and their dancing. The short film was exercises or Yoga (also for building strength and presented to the Plural+ Youth Video contest of awareness in the body through clear postures), and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the other one working with and on improvisation. can be seen under this link. Technical principles: Eva Maria Schaller worked http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8MPzeVtT1E with the trainees on weight, strength in the legs and articulation in the feet, knees and hip joint, “Jehad is a natural researcher. She has the ability starting off with simple exercises such as plies – to take her time and really investigate deeply into bending the legs and bringing attention to the the functionality of a movement or task. She is keen alignment of the legs. The floor-work focused on on getting new information from outside as well as spiral and sequential movement, legs or arms as through her own explorations.” initiation-points, as well as coordination of arms and legs in relation to the trunk. “Adnan, I was surprised about his physical talent She also worked on upside down postures dealing and abilities. His movement was especially very with going into handstands and cartwheels, as clear and is quite articulated. He is fast in picking well as the concept of off-balance and falling. up material and quite open, playful and attentive in The action and principle of swinging was also improvisations.” addressed in various exercises. Building up on Mirjam’s work, Eva Maria Schaller focused on “Hala made a mature impression on me. This showed finding the balance between strength and release, also as she wasn’t afraid of making mistakes. She was creating a sense of space inside and around the serious about working, not afraid of making an effort moving body. Schaller was always looking to and investing in herself. She worked concentrated. It demonstrate the connection to the inner-self in was interesting to see how she deals with her own order to be present while dancing/moving and fear and that she showed some courage in the trust finally finding a way to express oneself genuinely. exercise, which actually caused a big development. Improvisations and awareness principles: She is a natural improviser, physically fully committed Eva Maria Schaller focused on dance as one-way when she dances and able to express emotions to expand one’s awareness. Improvisation and the quite freely.” partner-exercises can give tools and eventually more possibilities of choices in how to relate to others. In dance this happens first and mainly on a physical level, but it can also be translated to the psychological and non-physical-level as well. Those dance classes attempted to try out and play with the different ways and choices of how to deal with oneself and the surrounding environment. During Eva`s classes, five researchers from

53 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013

Eva Maria Schaller

Eva-Maria Schaller is a freelance dancer and performer from Vienna, Austria. She studied Contemporary Dance at Codarts University for Music and Dance in Rotterdam, Netherlands (2003-2007). Already during her studies she had internships with international companies Emio Greco|PC and Anouk van Dijk DC. She continued working with Anouk vand Dijk DC and toured with the performances Shot, Am i out and Stau in the Netherlands USA, Japan and China. In 2010 she returned to her hometown, Vienna, and since then works mainly with Christine Gaigg, in several pieces, presented at the Tanzquartier Wien, Impulstanz, Schauspielhaus Wien, steirischer herbst. The current production DeSacre! will be shown at Impulstanz International Festival for contemporary dance, summer 2013. She is also a member of cafe mut. Movement-Sound Quartett Vienna - they presented their new piece Goldberg in march 2013 at Strenge Kammer, Porgy and Bess Vienna, as well as a founding member of F8, a research- and support platform for performers, which grounds in the project Interferncias Austria 2012.

54 YANTE . youth, art & levante One of the main conclusions of the team on 4.3.8 the level of the curriculum after three semesters had passed, was that although the teachers Evaluation sem.3 were required to deliver detailed protocols of their classes and a reflection on the trainees, the handing over from one instructor to the other Semester three was a highlight for the trainees, was not as good as YANTE had desired. Hence who through the performance of “the Rite of the following conclusions were drawn: Spring/ Le Sacre du Printemps” could experience for the first time, and start to make sense out of 1. the need to identify teachers who would the programme after one whole year of intensive teach at the I CAN MOVE programme on a training. They underwent rigorous training during more regular basis. the first two semesters completing up to 240 2. the need to plan a transitional period between teaching hours in modules, and 180 teaching the instructors where the following instructor hours in dance technique classes. has the chance to observe at least the last two classes of the previous instructor. This semester put the trainees to the test. It was 3. the need to affirm when identifying instructors certainly the most challenging semester out of that their teaching values correspond with all three, where the trainees had to deal with those of YANTE, where the values are more the very difficult circumstances of mounting a decisive then the technical and artistic know- community dance performance with 200 children how and skills. with a focus on street - children / Child-labourers. This experience certainly provided many lessons to be learnt along the way and challenges to be dealt with. For more on the performance of “the Rite of Spring/ Le Sacre du Printemps” please see section 5.1.

Although tangible improvements were apparent in the administrative team during the first two vmonths of the year, unfortunately the main challenge in this semester, just as well as the ones before remained that of finding a qualified programme manager, who possesse an afinity to art, understands the approach of community based art work, and is able and most importantly willing to cope with the challenges of building something new and unprecedented from scratch. And is willing to do that for a couple of years, not a couple of months. Once again, YANTE had a complete change of admin personal during this third semester. However, this time, YANTE did not only expand the number of the administrative team, but also sent the Austrian cultural manager, Nora Markt, as a delegate to Palestine, assigned as a full-time manager of the I CAN MOVE programme. Again, in this semester, the team and instructors observed very positive developments amongst the trainees, underlined by a healthy dance practice where not a single injury was registered throughout semester one and two. The challenge of interpretation for the two hearing impaired participants though partially tackled in semester II, remained a challenge as rehearsals got more stressful.

55 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013

4.4 PARTICIPATING TRAINEES

Abed Musa, 22 Kamel Seef, 15 Abu Falah, Ramallah, employee at YANTE School Student

Adnan Froukh, 19 Manar Harb, 28 Ramallah, Ramallah, Construction worker Editor at this week in palestine

Asef Masalmeh, 22 Mourad Salameh, 18 Singel, Abu Qash, School University Student Student

Nashwah Qashou, 19 Batoul Qadi, 20 Toulkarem, University Al-Bireh, Student University Student

Hala Sweidan, 19 Raafat Khalil, 18 Nablus, Ramallah, University Student School Student

Jihad Al-haj, 18 Sawsan Wahhab, 33 Ramallah, Ramallah, School Student School teacher

56 YANTE . youth, art & levante Shahd Froukh, 17 Ramallah, School Student

Summar Rasras, 21 Nablus, University Student

Tayseer Samara, 22 Bitounia, Employee

57 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013

5.OutReach

58 YANTE . youth, art & levante performance, leads to high school drop-outs, and The Levant region has been a hotspot for violence hence, enhanced feelings of otherness leading due to political conflict for decades, in addition to a general disinterest, i.e. inactive citizenship. to compounded pressures from cultural strains According to Jean Gough, special representative that community members place on each other. of UNICEF, learning achievements show signs of Marginalized segments of society, such as children, deterioration for students across the oPt. In 2010 violated women and people with disabilities, alone, 3.65% of the overall number of secondary suffer from the additional burden of dealing school students dropped out of schools, 75% of with societal stigma and being excluded from which are males. participating fully in their community. According Medical evidence shows that by strengthening to a study by Taraki 2008, growing socioeconomic 1) Physical, 2) Emotional, 3) Social and 4) gaps have increased feelings of polarization and Mental resiliency, an individual is able to avoid otherness within the Palestinian community and suffering from stress as a result of a traumatic a lack of empathy between community members. experience and can rather use the experience Also Vivian Khamis, a specialist in special education as a spring board to achieve self-development, concluded in her study in 2002 of PTSD amongst i.e. transforming “Post Traumatic Stress” into “Post West Bankers caused by violence, “The results Traumatic Growth”. [Tedeshi & Calhoun, 2004]. stress the importance of assessing PTSD in I CAN MOVE delivers this experience to the schools settings”. According to Médecins Sans participants throughout the West Bank through Frontières, PTSD has increased exponentially dance. amongst Palestinian Children since 2002. Since its launching in 2011 the I CAN MOVE programme has been working in private and PTSD means children cannot focus and have public schools, in community centres in cities learning difficulties. They show tendencies of and in villages, as well as with street-children in violent behaviour. It also means a lack of physical Ramallah and women in villages. The following control, where they constantly twitch and fidget section will represent I CAN MOVE’s outreach or even pee their pants at night. Poor academic activities. I CAN MOVE is aiming for a significant impact on policy-level. Through the involvement of community centres, schools, Birzeit University and the Ministry of Education a slow yet steady process of enriching the cultural curricula in the education sector is put into place. The programme will not achieve a OutReachmiracle, but it will succeed in widening the base “I CAN MOVE is aiming for of those who believe that culture and society are mutually interdependent. A rich culture is a significant impact on that which is not limited to the elite, and only with such a culture can elements of social divide, policy-level, through the inequality and fragmentation be eliminated. And involvement of community it is this gradual process of change that will force into place progressive cultural policies that ensure centres, schools, Birzeit equality of chances to professional practitioners University and the Ministry as well as ordinary citizens, breaking the static dominant hierarchy of the performer and the of Education” audience, which has become the ever-anticipated norm when attending an event.

59 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013

with myself for I must have made a mistake when writing down the number. Little did I know about 5.1 Performance the reality of boys like him, who live in constant Street-children fear that they would never share their real name nor contact details with a stranger. Between August 2011 and June 2012, to my eyes, the number of street-children / child-labourers Preface: in Ramallah quadrupled. As if that alone is not A word from the founder and director of I CAN enough, I sadly also observed people becoming MOVE. Nadia Arouri more aggressive towards them. When a child would pass by while sitting in a coffee shop, The idea of creating a community dance various accusations would be passed at the performance that targets street-children / child- children, ranging from calling them thieves, to labourers grew in me gradually throughout the theories about how wealthy their parents are, or rehearsals of the community dance performance theories of parental abuse. of EXILE in the summer of 2011. The artistic On June 10th 2012, and while sitting at QMH team and I would sometimes go out after our Bakery with my colleague, I noticed a street- rehearsals to grab a coffee and cake in Café de child /child-labourer approach the car that just la Paix. Many children often came by and asked if parked, After exchanging some words with the we would buy gum, ID covers, or whatever it is child, the man in the parked 4x-wheel drive jeep they had at that moment. However, a boy named aggressively opened the car door, hitting the child Yehya – at least that’s what he always told us his to the floor. Within seconds I could recognize the name was – asked us “what is it that we do?” child, it was singing Yehya. The minute we told him about our programme, After checking in with Yehya, I told him how sad Yehya’s eyes widened, and he asked if “we do I was that I had obviously written his number “such things” with “normal” children or with boys wrong that I couldn’t reach him to give him the like him as well?” tickets for the premiere of EXILE, upon which he told me that he gave me the wrong number, and I took Yehya’s number and promised to contact that he cannot give me the real one because I him next time we do a performance so that he could give it to the police. Hence, I gave him my can join. I also promised to call him in a week’s business-card, and told him he could check our time to give him tickets to the Premiere of EXILE website, and if he feels like he would like to join at the Ramallah Cultural Palace. Yehya walked us, and trust that we will not go to the police back to the traffic light singing like he always does. then he can call me. With this Yehya walked again A week later I tried to call Yehya, only to find out in the direction of the traffic light singing like he the number I had was wrong. Back then I felt angry always does, as I made him a promise that the next performance, will be for “boys like him”.

“what is it that we do? The minute we told him about our programme, Yehya’s eyes widened, and he asked if we do such things with normal children or with boys like him as well?”

60 YANTE . youth, art & levante 5.1.1 preparation 5.1.1.1 street children

5.1.1.1.a 5.1.1.1.b Recruiting the street children / child- Lobbying with companies & ministries labourers

Between June 2012 and February 2013, thestaff of Recruiting street-children / child-labourers in the YANTE held many meetings with society figures following months proved to be a very tricky task. as well as private and public sector officials to The data the children shared with the YANTE brainstorm and initiate actions to tackle the issue staff was almost always fake. It was only in of street-children / child-labourers. Yante defined December 2012 that one of the street-children the status quo as follows: / child-labourers decided to trust the assistant to the programme coordinator, Areen Shehadeh, after she had followed him around for weeks in a 1. There are children working on the streets row in the cold winter, with the narrative report during the cold winter and hot summers – of EXILE in her hand, attempting to show the unprotected. street-children / child-labourers pictures of the other children dancing, to gain their trust. 2. Their numbers are increasing. Once the first agreed to share his real name and 3. They are mostly not going to school. phone number, the rest of the children gradually came along. By end of January 2013, 19 street- 4. Aggressive behaviour amongst society children / child-labourers had signed up for the members towards them is growing. performance. A meeting was set with them on the 01.02.2013 to which less than 10 showed up, and 5. Society perceives them as parasites, in the informed us that the rest of the street-children / best-case scenario as beggars, but not as child-labourers changed their mind and wont be labourers. joining. We had a short talk with the children and explained to them our motives, our values, the 6. Children feel and are treated like outcasts. rehearsals plan, and the planned media campaign to raise awareness to their living circumstances. 7. Those children are the victims to the Most importantly we made it clear to the street- absence of a social security system. children / child-labourers that we as YANTE cannot do this alone, we need their commitment 8. The government is obviously incapable of and dedication. We as YANTE cannot change helping those families / children. people’s image of them, if they themselves don’t change the way they view themselves and in accordance their behaviour. Hence: What can the private sector do, and what is the government’s role in allowing for it? This prelude seems to have had a positive resonance amongst the street-children / child- Talks were held with stakeholders from the labourers that more than 20 joined on the first various branches of the private sector, the most day of rehearsals. By the end of the first week fruitful of which were with the banks. A high 31 street-children / child-labourers joined the ranking bank official proposed in September rehearsals of “The Rite of Spring / Le Sacre du 2012 that the banks would employe those Printemps”. children in the afternoons to do handicraft and art works in advertisements for the Bank, hence ensuring that the children are attending school and are working in a safe protected environment, where their creativity is encouraged, their skills are elevated, and most importantly, where they have a healthy encounter with the society, hence integrating them back into the social structure

61 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013 and eliminating their feeling of being “outcasts”. This proposal was brought forth to other banks, 5.1.1.2 recruiting children from as well as the Palestinian Ministry of Social Affairs. Tammoun Some of the Palestinian banks expressed interest in this proposal, under the prerequisite of course In the year 2011, 17 children from the town of that the public sector would ensure that the Tammoun participated in the community dance necessary measurements, laws and regulations performance EXILE. Only boys from Tammoun are in place so that the banks’ social act would were allowed to participate in the rehearsals and not be committing any breach of law. performance of EXILE, citing ‘cultural’ restraints. Further meetings were held with the Palestinian However, after having watched the full EXILE Ministry of Social Affairs, who expressed interest performance, where the boys were physically and in the initiative, but were however skeptical of the mentally communicating with girls in a healthy scope of community dance, and the administrative manner, the mayor of Tammoun walked up to teams capacities of recruiting the street-children / the organisation team, invited them to dinner child-labourers, and the fact that it would not be and said, “next time we will also send our girls to taking any actions until the beginning of February. dance with you”. Yante met with the Ministry of Social Affairs in February 2013, who provided Yante with some Hence, in Autumn 2012, the admin staff of statistics on domestic violence and school drop- Yante contacted the coordinators of the Youth outs, explaining that before taking any actions Institution for Young Boys and Girls, Tammoun, on the legal level or else, they would need exact informed them about the upcoming performance statistics about street-children / child-labourers and asked them to gather a group of 50 children, including the exact circumstances that forced with 25 girls and 25 boys, also asking if it would be those children into labour. possible for some of the boys who had previously participated in EXILE to rejoin. After many phone calls and negotiations, the coordinators of the Total communication school Palestine red cross societyinformed Yante’s admin staff in January 2013 that they are unable to recruit any girls, citing again cultural constraints. Upon which, the admin team asked the club if they could help by organizing a meeting with some mothers from the area. The club coordinators were, as usual, extremely helpful and cooperative. Within a few days, the coordinators had arranged for a meeting with the mothers in the beginning of February. In a short heart warming meeting, Nadia Arouri spoke to the women about the experience the 17 boys of Tammoun had undergone in 2011. She presented the Narrative Report, with the many pictures of the children, which built the trust and encouraged the women to allow their girls to participate in the rehearsals and performances of “The Rite of Spring / Le Sacre du Printemps”. As the rehearsals started a few weeks later, the admin staff, coordinators of the Youth Institution for Young Boys and Girls, Tammounthe artistic team, and the trainees were extremely enthused to welcome more than 40 girls and 30 boys into the municipality hall of Tammoun. Yet again, community dance has proven to provide a medium for females to enforce their equality with men, to openly express themselves and appreciate their physicality, as prejudices against them are broken in the course of the training.

62 YANTE . youth, art & levante rehearsals on Wednesday and Thursday would 5.1.1.3 recruiting children from take place at the Arab Evangelical Episcopal private schools School. Hence, each of the children will be brought together with children from 2 other schools as One of I CAN MOVE’s important work well as street-children / child-labourers, and the philosophies is that of bringing together child would have one rehearsal at his school and contrasting social strata within each artistic work, another at a new different school3. In other words, a meeting of the opposite ends The schools were very cooperative right from of the spectrum. Hence street-children / child- the start. The schools did not only distribute the labourers, i.e. the least economically privileged information sheet and registration form prepared children in society, are brought together with by the admin staff, but also provided the possibility children from private schools, i.e. the most to address the students directly. Hence, the artistic economically privileged children in society. director, Nadia Arouri, joined the Friends Boys Some of the members of the admin team and Schools’ morning chapel on Monday 04.02.2013 the trainees are graduates from private schools, and spoke to the students about the upcoming and looking back on their school years, seemed performance. She also invited participants from to share the wish that there had been more EXILE, who were in their senior year at the common activities and cooperation between the school, to speak shortly about their experience in schools, apart from sports tournaments. Hence, community dance in the summer of 2011. the team decided to combine 3 schools: The In the Arab Evangelical Episcopal School and the Friends Schools, The Arab Evangelical Episcopal Mustaqbal Schools, Nadia went around classes School, and The Mustaqbal School. 4 – 11, and addressed children aged 10 – 17

اسبوع 1-4 ) 14 شباط – 7 اذار ( اليوم االثنين الثالثاء االربعاء الخميس الجمعة السبت

المجموعة 1 2 1 2 3 3

الموقع رام اهلل رام اهلل رام اهلل رام اهلل طمون طمون

الموقع مدارس مدارس المدرسة المدرسة بلدية تمون بلدية تمون الفرندز الفرندز االنجيلية االنجيلية الموعد 09:00-19:00 1100-17:00 15:00- 19:00 15:00- 19:00 15:00- 19:00 15:00- 19:00

اسبوع 5 ) 10 اذار – 714 اذار ( اليوم االحد االثنين الثالثاء االربعاء الخميس

المجموعة 1+2+3 1+2 1+2 1+2+3 1+2+3

الموعد 18:00 10:00- 19:00 15:00- 19:00 15:00- 20:00 14:00- 1100-17:00

الموقع خشبة مسرح قصر رام اهلل الثقافي

60 children were invited to join from the Friends about the upcoming performance. In a few of the Schools, 60 children where invited to join from classes, there were also participants who took the Arab Evangelical Episcopal School, and 40 part in EXILE, they were also invited to speak children were invited to join from the Mustaqbal shortly about their experience in community School. Together with the 40 street-children / dance in the summer of 2011. child-labourers it would make 200 children. The The schools were also very cooperative in children from each school would then be split providing their facilities in-line with their extra- into two groups. 100 children would rehearse curricular activities’ schedule. Almost all private on Monday and Wednesday and the other schools in Ramallah have a regular and mostly 100 children would rehearse on Tuesday and comprehensive extra-curricular activities Thursday,.The rehearsals on Monday and Tuesday programme running, which later on, during the would take place at the Friends Schools, and the implementation, proved to pose a challenge.

3 The reason why no rehearsals where planned at the Mustaqbal School is the absence of an adequate indoor training facility. 63 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013

5.1.2.2 rehearsals Tammoun 5.1.2 Implementation Rehearsals in Ramallah started on the 17.02.2013, where the rehearsals on Monday and Tuesday 5.1.2.1 rehearsals Tammoun took place at the Chapel of the Friends Boys School, while on Wednesday and Thursday at the The rehearsals of “The Rite of Spring / Le Hall of the Arab Evangelical Episcopal School. Sacre du Printemps” started as planned on the Although the schools were very cooperative right 15.02.2013 in Tammoun, where 75 children from the beginning, the situation with the training joined the rehearsals. The fact that so many facilities proved to be more challenging once young girls joined the rehearsals on that day was rehearsals started. Almost all private schools in a remarkable progress and great feedback for the Ramallah have a regular and mostly comprehensive I CAN MOVE admin and artistic teams. extra-curricular activities programme running, which made it a bit challenging firstly for some of Throughout the phase of the rehearsals, the the children who were interested in joining the admin and artistic teams would drive to Tammoun programme, and secondly, for the implementation on Friday morning, then drive to Jenin in the of the above mentioned plan. evening where they slept at the guest house of By week 2, a change in the locations of the rehearsal Cinema Jenin, and drove back to Tammoun the was deemed necessary, hence the rehearsals next morning for the rehearsal, and then back of Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday took place to Ramallah. Due to lack of space in the car, the at the Episcopal Technological and Vocational trainees and assistants had to divide themselves in Training Centre, while the rehearsals on Thursday teams to split the three weekends amongst each were kept at the hall of the Arab Evangelical other. The trainees taught in Tammoun together Episcopal School. This change of rehearsal place with their instructors as follows: in additional to the obligatory comprehensive extra-curricular activities programme of the 15/16.02.2013 Friends Schools eventually and unfortunately had Trainees: Abed, Mourad, Shahd, Summar an effect on the number of children participating Assistants: Gianna, Mia, Mirjam. from the Friends Schools. Additionally, the original plan of having two groups, 22/23.02.2013 one rehearsing on Mondays and Wednesdays and Trainees: Abed, Adnan, Hala, Nashwa the other rehearsing on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Assistants: Mia, Mirjam, Ronja. was difficult to maintain, as some children were really happy about the opportunity and ended up 01/02.03.2013 joining on all four days, while others joined for 3 Trainees: Kamel, Sawsan, Summar, Tayseer, Mourad days. Then there were those children who were Assistants: Gianna, Mia, Ronja. committed to other extra-curricular activities on one of the days of each pair, hence ended up This common journey every week was a great joining Mondays and Thursdays or Tuesdays and learning experience for the trainees, and a Wednesdays. This inconsistency led to a delay in great opportunity to share time and space, the rehearsing schedule, because often children and strengthen the relationship and friendships joined on Wednesday who had not come on amongst them. Monday, and hence, did not know the scenes that had instead of has been rehearsed on Monday and so on and so forth. Accordingly, the delay had to be compensated from the planned buffer time as well as an additional rehearsal that was held on Sunday 10.03.2013. The fact that they are all either full time school students, university students or employees was not an obstacle due to the number of the trainees and their interest and high levels of commitment. Although the trainees, according to the plan below, were only required to join 2 Ramallah rehearsals per week, most of them were present on a daily basis, and exhibited great level of engagement and curiosity to learn and grow.

64 YANTE . youth, art & levante February 2013 Sunday Monday Tuesday wednesday Thursday friday saturday 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

11:00 - 17:00 09:00 - 15:00 Rehearsal Rehearsal Tammoun Tammoun Abed, Abed, Mourad, Mourad, Shahd, Shahd, Summar Summar

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

15:00 - 19:00 15:00 - 19:00 15:00 - 19:00 15:00 - 19:00 Rehearsal 11:00 - 17:00 Rehearsal Ramallah Rehearsal Rehearsal Ramallah 09:00 - 15:00 Ramallah Group I Rehearsal Group1 OB: Abed, Ramallah Group II Group II Rehearsal Tammoun OB: Adnan, Tammoun Abed, Kamel, Nashwa, OB: Abed,Adnan, OB: Kamel,Nashwa, Abed, Adnan, Hala, Hala, Mourad, Adnan, Hala, Sawsan, Tayseer Hala, Mourad, Sawsan, Shahd, Nashwa Shahd, Tayseer Nashwa 17:30 Hala, Summar Summar (16:00) Summar (16:00) 17:30 Summar

24 25 26 27 28

15:00 - 19:00 15:00 - 19:00 15:00 - 19:00 15:00 - 19:00 Rehearsal Rehearsal Rehearsal Rehearsal Ramallah Group I Ramallah Group I Ramallah Group II Ramallah Group II OB: Abed, OB: Adnan, OB: Abed,Adnan, OB: Kamel,Nashwa, Kamel, Nashwa, Hala, Mourad, Hala, Mourad, Sawsan, Shahd, Sawsan, Tayseer Shahd, Tayseer Summar (16:00) Summar (16:00) 17:30 Hala, Summar 17:30 Summar

March 2013

Sunday Monday Tuesday wednesday Thursday friday saturday 1 2

11:00 - 17:00 09:00 - 15:00 Rehearsal Rehearsal Tammoun Tammoun Kamel, Kamel, Sawsan, Sawsan, Nashwa/ Nashwa/Summar, Summar, Tayseer Tayseer

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

15:00 - 19:00 15:00 - 19:00 15:00 - 19:00 15:00 - 19:00 Rehearsal Rehearsal Ramallah Rehearsal Rehearsal Ramallah 11:00 - 17:00 Ramallah Group I 10:00 - 18:00 Group1 IOB: Abed, Ramallah Group II Group II Rehearsal Tammoun OB: Adnan, Stage Rehearsal Kamel, Nashwa, OB: Abed,Adnan, OB: Kamel,Nashwa, Adnan, Kamel, Hala, Mourad, Tutti Sawsan, Tayseer Hala, Mourad, Sawsan, Shahd, Mourad, Sawsan Shahd, Tayseer 17:30 Hala, Summar Summar (16:00) Summar (16:00) 17:30 Summar

65 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013

5.1.2.3 participants to interact very aggressively amongst each other. To the I CAN MOVE team, the aggression seemed During the rehearsals of “The Rite of Spring / Le like the “common language” those children spoke Sacre du Printemps,” the community dance team amongst each other. Through close mentorship worked with around 250 children aged 8 to 22 and lots of dedication on the part of the team years old from communities in the West Bank: toward those participants, positive changes in mainly Ramallah and Tammoun, with a few from attitude were observed. Violence was reduced Betounia, Deir Al-Sudan, Qalandia, Toulkarem, and some of the older participating children El-Bireh, and others. The selection of the target softened in their presence. They also became group was based on the belief of YANTE and more invested during rehearsals. its partners that any local culture weakens and degrades if limited to the privileged and the elite. Younger street-children / child-labourers were having difficulties to focusing and were observed This performance was organised based on the to constantly twitch and fidget during the first belief that inequality is a process by which the week of rehearsals. These are considered victim is forced into a reduced level of participation symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. in the public sphere. Since visibility is power, this Starting week three, clear improvements were performance utilized the stage of dance, allowing observed in some of those children. In the the marginalized to claim the spot-light. Street- cases of some of those children none of these Children are faced on daily basis with rejection symptoms were visible by the time they got on and with reasons for pessimism. This performance stage in week five. tried to bring back to them a portion of their childhood by giving them a scenario to ponder Many of the parents of the children from private about, in which they are the centre of the event schools reported positive changes in behavior on as participants, not bystanders. the side of their children. Some parents reported The current Palestinian cultural scene is dominated that their children are becoming more focused at by the glamour of rich voices, eloquent poets, home, for example studying for an exam is taking sportive dancers and attractive performers; this them one hour instead of an entire evening. One scene was enriched by the cases of those who mother reported her son had taken the initiative have been hitherto voiceless. Those performances to start helping her at home with house chores. In combined entertainment with social awareness other cases, guardians reported an improvement against community-fragmenting stereotyping and in school grades amongst their children. practices, towards consolidation of the culture of peace and tolerance amongst Palestinians. These are only a few examples of the changes the team witnessed within the individual Many positive changes of attitude were observed participants and the groups in general. Despite among the participants. Some of the participants the difference in age, interests, religion, economic came from religious families. At the beginning of status, and discipline of the participants, most rehearsals they were skeptical of the project and of them expressed interest in participating in the prospect of men dancing. Some were even another community dance experience. Some undisciplined in the first 2 weeks of rehearsals. even expressed interest in becoming community However starting week three, the I CAN MOVE dance trainers themselves. team started observing a positive change of attitude on the part of many of those students. participants’ list Dancers Some of the participants from the private schools had a very negative, almost racist attitude Ali Mohammad Bane Odeh towards their fellow economically disadvantaged Abed Alhaleem Sameer participants. It was only towards the end of Abeer Abed Alra'of Bsharat week three that those students were observed Adham Ennad Bane Odeh interacting with their fellow participants on eye- Adham Yosef Mohammad Bane Odeh level while working and focused on a dance Adnan Abd Al Rahem Mtawar sequence. By the end of the project the trainers Ahmad Abed Alra'of Bsharat observed a strong consolidation of participants. Ahmad Awad Sharaf Ahmad Ebrahem Almasre In the case of the street-children / child-labourers Ahmad Masre when dealing with fellow street-children / child- Ahmad Mazen Efkhadat labourers some of the participants were observed Ahmad Me'reb Ahmad Nader Saker Alhaj

66 YANTE . youth, art & levante Ala'a Neroz Haya Abas Mohammad Swed Alaa Hashaykah Haya Mahmod Bsharat Alas Hashaykah Hazem Mohammad Almas Abu Saba' Hedaya Kamal Amal Abed Alellah Husam Yosef Alshayeb Ameen Nemer Ibrahim Ahmad Mtawor Amen Yaser Ibrahim Khalel Jabaren Amen Ysen Ebrahem Jak Shaheen Amjad Reyad Mostafa Bane Odeh Jan Mareen Amro Ahmad Abed Alrahman Jehad Ali Bane Odeh Amro Jallamnah Jehad Khader Rashdah Aseel Jammal Esma'l Khaseeb Jomana Khader Aseel Mostafa Jone Feras Amar Aseel Yaser Jorjet Tabash Ashraf Hashaykah Jres Dawoud Abed Allah Ayham Jallal Jres Mosa Khalaf Ayman Nash'at Saqer Haj Jsleen Tannous Baha'a Ali Kareem Ali Basel Qorra Karen Montaser Msalam Bashar Safi Khaled Hamarshe Bassel Daleh Khaled Omran Batool Shama' Khalil Khalel Jabareen Bayan Frej Lama Khore Besan Frej Lana Essam Bane Odeh Bissan Qora Lara Kawas Dana Mufeed Alshame Layth Ahmad Mtawar Dania Mohammad Leen Jaradat Danyella Hosare Lezan Fadj Danyella Tannous Lina Theyador Dareen Daleh Loay Nash'at Saqer Haj Derrar Shadad Khader Bane Odeh Lojain Dawoud Abu Ghosh Deya'a Khaled Lojayn Emmad Deya'a Nore Khadet Abo Rayhan Loreena Osama Abed Allah Donia Ali Mahmmod Mostafa Bsharat Doreen Dallah Mai Emmad Bane Odeh Ebraheem Mostafa Bane Odeh Mais Alhabel Ebrahem Aldaghme Mais Nafez E'lewe Eelaf Zuher Bsharat Maisa'a Habash Ehab Ahmad Khalel Al Mtawor Majd Mohammad Othman Eleyya Abu Hejleh Majd Montaser Bane Odeh Eman Nehad Malak Wa'el Bane Odeh Eman Nehad Bane Odeh Malenna Ishaq Israq Eman Osama Marah Atef Bsharat Eman Reyad Marah Mostafa Bsharat Emili Khouri Mariam Abed Allah Emmad Hammad Mahommod Alebrahem Mariam Abed Alnbe Bsharat Esra'a Khaled Mariana Shenera Essa Rezk Allah Mayar Khader Rashdah Eyad Kamal Bsharat Mays Rafidi Ez Alden Anwar Awad Mohammad Maysa'a Omar Bane Odeh Fares Anfous Mazen Zoher Bsharat Fares Kasem Kawas Mena Alhosene Faten Abu Shawesh Mera Jaradat Faten Mohyee Bane Odeh Mo'men Ebrahem Yaseen Firas Alwade Mohammad Abed Alkaren Bsharat Ghaleb Naser Mohammad Al Azeh Ghaleb Shokre Naser Mohammad Aldek Hani Nidal Mohammad Al Bitar Mohammad Barakat Hassan Jehad Bane Odeh Mohammad Eryad

67 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013

Mohammad Fyek Bne Odeh Siselia Tannous Mohammad Hassan Jlo Solaiman Abu Ghosh Mohammad herzallah Ssara Shehadeh Mohammad Issa Shak'a Suha Mohye Bane Ode Mohammad Khadare Tala Kasem Kawas Mohammad Khader Bsharat Tala Mesleh Mohammad Mohammad She'er Tamer Abd Al Rahaman Al Mtawar Mohammad Mostafa Bsharat Tene Arkelyan Mohammad Na'om Abu Alhaj Theker Abed Alhafeth Mohammad Najeh Jad Allah Victor Khore Mohammad Nakhleh Wael Nidal Mohammad Al Bitar Mohammad Shahadeh Waheeb Ahmad Khalel Al Mtawar Mohammad Waleed Bane Odeh Waseem Harbe Hosne Daraghme Moheb Shadad Khader Bane Odeh We2am Kor Monther Saleh Bane Odeh Wessam Awad Faraj Morse Jaradat Yahya Yakhlouf Mosa'ab Hmmad Bsharat Yaman Osama Abu Rayhan Mostaffa Azzam Abu Haj Yamen Fakhad Mostaffa Hasan Al Mtawar Yamen Mohanad Fokaha'a Mrweh Mahmmod Bsharat Yasmeen Mohammad Slyman Mustafa Jallal Bsharat Yasmen Hanna Naeem Hanna Moreb' Yazan Khader Bsharat Nardeen Bosheh Yazan Mohammad Natale Abu Karsh Yazan Mohsen Natale Aser Yazan Na'el Rafek Mekdade Natali Mrebe' Yazzan Rebhe Saleh Niele Khore Yosef Jamael Obai Bashar Zake Abu Allaban Odai Abed A llah Zeidan Najeh Khaled Odeh Mohammad Al Haj Ziad Shaheen Alex Ebrahem Yaserا Omar Abed Alra'of Bsharat Omar Hosare Osama Remawe Osama Rimawi trainees Otaiba Taha Rasras Qusai Rezek Mara'be Abed Alhaleem Shoman Rame Bane Odeh Adnan Abed Allah Ayash Ramez Msalam Asef Masalmeh Ramma Nadeem Melhem Hala Sweidan Ranen Khalaf Kamel Sef Alden Jerjawe Ranya Khalafr Mourad Mostafa Salamah Razan Mohammad Bane Odeh Nashwa Bassem Hafez Qashou Reeta Abu Ghalme Sawsan Fo’ad Etbrahem Wahab Rimas Abo Saba' Shahad Ragheb Mohammad Frokh Saba Emad Yaseen Summar Taha Rasras Sabe'e Ayed Tayseer Nabeel Samara Sadel Bashar Safa'a Khaled Sama Khore Sama Samer Shalabe Sami Al Azzah Samma Shehadeh Sanad Nehad Bane Odeh Selvanna Madroyan Shade Khore Shahad Alhabel Shahd Mohammad Abu Shawesh Shayma'a Najeh Jad Allah Shayma'a Waleed Najeh

68 YANTE . youth, art & levante 5.1.2.4 Awareness campaign

Those two motifs were developed for the awareness campaign and hung around the city of Ramallah. Flyers of these motifs were also printed and distributed by the street-children / Child- labourers on the traffic lights and in the streets. The children used the following phrase when distributing the flyers: “Today I don’t want you to buy from me, I want to invite you to come and watch me free of charge on the 14.03.2013 at the Ramallah Cultural Palace”. Through this action, the tables were turned. Suddenly the children were the ones giving to the society, instead of the society giving to them. The children came back with a big smile on their face, feeling happy and empowered, and asking for more flyers to distribute.

69 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013

5.1.3 Performance tour

To increase the exposure, to the event and hence to the awareness surrounding the issues of child- labour, it was important for the I CAN MOVE team to reach out to a wider slice of the society. Accordingly private and public schools were invited to watch the performance. A special cooperation was also created with the UNRWA, were firstly future cooperation was discussed, and secondly, the headquarters recommended to all of its schools to organise a school activity day/ school trip to watch the performance and discuss it within the school. Three UNRWA schools joined us on the 25.03.2013 for the Matinée at 11:00. Similarly, private schools were also invited to watch the performance. Students from the Arab Evangelical Episcopal School, and the Mustaqbal School joined us on the 25.03.2013 for the second Matinée of the day at 13:00. Also Total Communication School Palestine red crescent society for deaf and mute children joined the 13:00 o’clock performance on the 25.03.2013, to watch their fellow deaf and mute participants dancing on stage. Ma’an center for development also organised for a bus of school children from Jerusalem to join the performance on the 25.03.2013 at 13:00. In-line with YANTE’s policies and the previous performances, all performances were presented to the public pro-bono. The following Performance Tour plan was initially put in place. Unfortunately, due to political, economic, social, and religious reasons, only the premiere on the 14.03.2013 and the 3 performances on the 25.03.2013 could take place. For more details please see section 5.1.3.2

March 2013

Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE 10:30 Ramallah PERFORMANCE 13:00 Jerusalem (School Children) 13:00 Ramallah (School Children) 13:30 Ramallah (School Children) (School Children)

PREMIER 18:00 Ramallah PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE You are welcome to 18:00 Jerusalem 18:00 Bethlehem watch your kids

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE 13:00 Jenin(School 13:00 Ramallah 13:00 Ramallah Children) (School Children) (School Children)

PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE 18:00Jenin 18:00 Ramallah 18:00 Nablus 18:00 Ramallah

70 YANTE . youth, art & levante 5.1.3.1 Premiere

The premiere of the performance “The Rite of Spring / Le Sacre du Printemps” celebrated the successful commencement of the first year of training for the YANTE trainees who were invited on stage for an applause of recognition, to the immense amount of hours and efforts they invested not only in the performance and campaign targeting street-children / child- labourers, but also in their individual training and growth. Attached here, you can find the opening speech of the Premiere, where YANTE and the I CAN MOVE programme cried out in refusal of Child- labour, stressing on the responsibility and the contribution of each society member to this phenomenon.

الحضور الكريم٬ أطفالنا الراقصون٬ األهالي والطاقم وكل المساهمين٬ سيداتي٬ آنساتي وسادتي٬ بالنيابة عن طاقم مؤسسة يانته ومشروع أنا قادر على الحركة٬ بيسعدني أني أرحب فيكم في افتتاح عرضنا “أضحية الربيع”. كما وبيسعدنا أنو نرحب بعطوفة الدكتورة ليلى غنام اللي بتشاكنا اليوم بالنيابة عن دولة رئيس الوزراء د. سالم فياض اللي اعتذر عن حضوره بسبب اجتماعات طارئة لمجلس الوزراء. “أضحية الربيع” هي موسيقى من تأليف المؤلف الروسي ايغور سترافنسكي في عام ١٩١٣ بمناسبة موسم رقص الباليه الباريسي. نحنا اليوم وبعذ مئة عام على تأليف هذه الرائعة الكالسيكية بننقش في حجر تيكون معلم آخر للتاريخ٬ للمستقبل تبيني عليه ولصفحات المؤرخين تيحكو عنو. خالل االسابيع الماضية فوق الميتين شخص تدربو واشتغلوا سوا تحت شعار “نحن حب الحياة”٬ النو نحنا جميعا راقصين وأهالي ومدربين وعاملين وداعمين بدنا معكم اليوم نوجه صرخة رفض لعمالة األطفال. هذه مسؤولية مجتمع٬ مش بس فرد أو عائلة أو مؤسسة أو حكومة. كل طفل عم بيشتغل بدل التعلم والحياة٬ كل طفل بتسكر الشباك بوجهه بدل الكلمة الطيبة٬ كل واحد هو شاهد على قصورنا كمجتمع. هذا العرض اليوم للبعض مشروع بحد ذاته٬ بس آلخرين هو جزء من مسيرة اليوم بيختتموا سنة منها. بنحب نشكر راقصينا المشاركين ببرنامج تدريب المدربين اللي ابتدأ الربيع الماضي ورح يستمر على مدار الثالث سنوات الجاية.

71 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013

thank Amjad Bani Odeh (coordinator of the youth intitution for young boys and girls in Tammoun) 5.1.4 Challenges for his relentless efforts since 2011. Street-children / Child-labourers and their families Social Challenges have been alienated as a social group. When a group is out-casted by the rest of the society, it is Working in the community often presents self-evident that mistrust would prevail amongst challenges because it means working with them. Hence, the street-children / child-labourers humans, i.e. individuals who differ in their and their parents time and time again questioned needs, preferences, opinions, values, and habits. I the motives of the I CAN MOVE programme CAN MOVE strives to accompany the various and the aim behind the performance of “The Rite participants and society members in their of Spring / Le Sacre du Printemps”. The parents, individual social journey, as they negotiate their especially fathers, time and time again asked the space amongst and within their surroundings. We I CAN MOVE team for assurances that their aspire to take the participants and their family children were not going to be arrested by the members on a journey in which they recognize authorities due to our activities and the visibility their similarities by acknowledging the common that they were gaining. basic needs, shared by all. Our aim is to encourage participants to utilize art As the programme progressed, the actions of the as an instrument for self-expression, therefore, I CAN MOVE team spoke louder then the words gaining the power to convey their viewpoints, of the values of YANTE and motives behind the and to do so non-violently. Participants express performance of “The Rite of Spring / Le Sacre themselves while believing that the uniqueness of du Printemps”. This was enough for all parents, an individual lays in the diversity of the whole. except for one who paid the organisations’ office an impromptu visit with a person whom he One of the first challenges arose in the second introduced as his lawyer. This parent’s questions, day of rehearsals in Tammoun, the 16th of and sometimes even accusative questions, were February 2013. As the artistic director, Nadia full of political mines. The parent continuously Arouri was standing in the parking-lot of the insinuated a political manoeuvre on the side of I Tammoun municipality, making phone-calls to CAN MOVE to point out the “short-comings” of parents informing them about the time their the Palestinian authorities, upon which the artistic children would finish rehearsal, a group of 5-6 director repeatedly confirmed that I CAN MOVE young Hamas members attempted to enter the sees this as a collective social responsibility. In rehearsal with camera’s / phones in their hands. respomse to further attempts by the father to As Nadia Arouri stood in their way and asked polarize YANTE politically, the artistic director them how could she help them, one of the confirmed that YANTE is a-political, and is hence Hamas men pushed her down to the ground, and coordinating with all the necessary governmental rushed towards the hall. He attempted to film the bodies, such as the ministry of social affairs and rehearsals through the door and then through the office of the Prime Minister. window, as the members of the Youth Institution for Young Boys and Girls, Tammoun tried to get After 2 hours of repeatedly restating YANTE’s the situation under control and ordered the values and I CAN MOVE’s social strategies as well Hamas members off of the municipal grounds. as the motives behind “The Rite of Spring / Le Sacre du Printemps” performance, the introduced That evening, the Hamas member launched a lawyer stood up and re-introduced himself as an defamation campaign against the I CAN MOVE intelligence service officer. The officer saluted the programme on Facebook and in the town of the artistic director for the great work of YANTE and Tammoun. The campaign threatened the I CAN the I CAN MOVE programme. While walking MOVE team publicly, again stepping into Tammoun out of the office, he told the parent “he had no again. The campaign was shut down within less case to plea”. The parent and the officer left the than 12 hours, thanks to the TYouth Institution for office together. Although the parent was not seen Young Boys and Girls, Tammoun members who again, the team could unfortunately sense some stood steadfast like cavaliers within the town, discomfort on the part of his children. as well as the Governor of Toubas Mr. Marwan Toubassi, for gallantly and promptly intervened Challenges were not only faced with the parents of for the protection of individual freedoms and the street-children / child-labourers, but also with plurality. a few parents of private school children. Although the registration form for the performance “The The I CAN MOVE team would especially like to 72 YANTE . youth, art & levante بيان للرأي العام Rite of Spring / Le Sacre du Printemps”, which نشرت جريدة األيام السبت الماضي مقاال للكاتب يوسف الشايب the parents filled out and signed did state quite clearly, that the organisation is not responsible for تحت عنوان » اضحية الربيع .. عرض مدهش .... ولكن !« providing food for the participants, neither during اننا في مؤسسة يانتة » مشروع انا قادر على الحركة« نستهجن the rehearsals, nor the performances, some ما كتبه يوسف الشايب عن اطفال يبكون جوعا بعد ساعات ,parents aggressively attacked the organisation claiming it is the organisations responsibility when من التدريب . ألن اهالي األطفال منفردين عبأوا ووقعوا على planning any activity, to budget and be responsible نموذج مشاركة ابنائهم في التدريب لعرض اضحية الربيع , وفيه for the food of the participants. It is morally still quite peculiar for the team members of I CAN نصواضح بالتزام األهل بتأمين الطعام والزي الآلزم للعرض MOVE, that although the entire programme والمواصالت الداخلية ألبنائهم . والسيد يوسف الشايب عبأت is being provided free of charge, some few parents demand more instead of expressing their زوجته السيدة بديعة الشايب الطلب ووقعت عليه . .gratitude نحن في مؤسسة يانتة نتساءل , ماذا يفعل السيد الشايب بأبنائه في المدرسة؟ في المخيم الصيفي؟ وفي أي نشاط آخر YANTE is aware that this behaviour is a result of the socio-political landscape of Palestine, especially يذهبون اليه؟ هل يدعهم يبكون جوعا ويحمل المسئولية Ramallah, as a monetary donor attraction. YANTE للمؤسسة الحاضنة للنشاط كما فعل في مقالته؟ also insists on not endorsing this behaviour and will hence run all of its activities further on نحن مؤسسة »يانتة - مشروع انا قادر على الحركة« مؤسسة .without providing food to the participants ثقافية ولسنا مؤسسة خيرية. ولم نأتي الى فلسطين لتقديم Yousef Al-Shayeb, a reporter of Al-Ayyam وجبات طعام للطلبة المشاركين اكان من طابة المدارس الخاصة Newspaper, who’s child was a participant of “The Rite of Spring / Le Sacre du Printemps” ام خيرهم. بل لنعليمهم الرقص والفن واحترام الذات والتعبير performance, was one of those parents who عن انفسهم وابراز مواهبهم وطاقاتهم الكامنة. وطرح معاناة aggressively attacked, and added “if you want money, we can give you lots of money, just don’t ابنائنا كما أطفال الشوارع . leave the children to starve.” Mr. Al-Shayeb كما ان المدربين األجانب المتطوعين في غالبتهم٬ لم يتواجدوا abused his position of power as a reporter for his personal agenda, or even worse, revenge, by اثناء النقاش مع عائلة الشايب. ومن المسيء أن ننسب لهم ما broaching the issue in an article he wrote for نسبه الشايب في مقالته. the Ayyam Newspaper on Saturday the 16th of March 2013, following the Premiere of “The Rite of Spring / Le Sacre du Printemps”. Mr. Al-Shayeb committed fraud by writing the article about “the parents” and failing to mention that those parents were himself and another mother. YANTE promptly contacted the editors of Al-Ayyam Newspapers, who apologized for their shortcoming in validating the facts, and invited YANTE to publish a clarification the following day in response to Mr. Al-Shayeb’s defamation methods. Hence, the following response was published in Arabic by Al-Ayyam Newspaper on behalf on YANTE on Sunday 17th of March 2013.

73 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013

Logistic Challenges of the Bethlehem University, which also had to be postponed to the 28th of March 2013 due to The overall number of audience for the the general strike announced by the Palestinian performance tour of the production “The Rite of Universities in protest to the economic situation Spring / Le Sacre du Printemps” was expected to of the university professors. Unfortunately, on the exceed 7000 persons. However due to political, 25th of March 2013 the universities decided to economic, social, and religious reasons only the announce a general strike starting on the 28th of premiere on the 14.03.2013 and 3 performances March 2013 as well, leading to the cancellation of on the 25.03.2013 could take place in Ramallah the Bethlehem performance too. making an audience of 2000 – 2200 persons only. The performance in Nablus was planned for The performance in Jerusalem was planned the 24th of March 2013 at the amphitheatre for Saturday 16.03.2013. As in previous years, of the Najah University. The I CAN MOVE the The Representative Office of the Federal team was informed by the Najah University Republic of Germany requested for the permits on Thursday 21st of March 2013 that due to of the children and trainees from the Israeli religious considerations the performance could occupation forces. On 14.03.2013 the Israeli not take place at the amphitheatre and would occupation forces set the perquisite that each of be held at the indoor theatre. Unfortunately the the 200 children is a holder of a magnetic card. performance had to be cancelled, because the A magnetic card costs 150 shekels per person, i.e indoor stage was too small and could not even 30.000,00 (Thirty thausend NIS). accommodate 50 children, let alone 200 children. The Representative Office of the Federal Republic of Germany assured that they will keep See Table on Page 64 trying to get the permits, which they did. We were informed on Thursday 21st of March 2013 that the permits had been issued and can be picked up in the afternoon of Sunday 24th of March 2013. Hence the performance was rescheduled for Tuesday 26th of March 2013. The I CAN MOVE staff were appalled to realise that the Israeli occupation forces had issued the permits for all of the children and NONE of their teachers, as in the trainees. Hence, the performance had to be cancelled yet again. Also the performance in Tammoun had to be first postponed from the 21st of March 2013 to the 23rd of March 2013 due political reasons. U.S President Obama was to visit Ramallah on the 21st of March 2013, and hence, a general road block was announced. Sadly the performance had to then be cancelled due to social reasons. A bus of pilgrims had crashed in Jordan valley leaving many dead and others injured. Many of those pilgrims came from the Toubas and Tammoun area, hence out of courtesy to the families of those dead, the performance was cancelled. The economic impasse of schools and universities also had its share in the cancellation of the Ramallah and Bethlehem performances. The performances on Sunday the 17th and Monday the 18th of March 2013 were planned as morning Martinèes for school children but had to be cancelled due to the general strike announced by the Palestinian schools in protest to the economic situation of the teachers. The performance on Tuesday the 19th of March 2013 was planned also as a Matinée for the students

74 YANTE . youth, art & levante 5.1.5 Biographies

Director: Nadia Arouri (Section 8 page 92)

Choreographer Royston Maldoon The British choreographer Royston Maldoom has been the initiator and leader of numerous dance projects all around the globe for the past 30 years. His work was especially honoured by the dance project “Le Sacre du Printemps” with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Simon Rattle, in which 250 kids participated, gained popular attention through the movie Rhythm is it! This documentary was awarded with the Lola Film Prize in 2005 and reached large audiences world-wide. In 2006, the Queen of Englandpresented Royston Maldoom with the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) from the British Government for Services To Dance. In 2007, he received the German-British Forum Award for his engagement for the British- German relations in London and the prize of the “Club der Optimisten” in Hamburg. His international engagement led him to Ethiopia in 1996 where, together with his colleague Mags Byrne, he organized a dance project with 100 street kids. Following the success of this project, they established the Adugna Dance Company, giving young people the opportunity to be educated in dance, choreography, and teaching. After many visits through the 70´s, 80´s and 90´s in 2000 Royston Maldoom initiated a project with dancers of the Ballet of the University of San Marcos, Lima, helping them to set up und deliver community projects with and for socially handicapped children in Peru. This work was maintained and guided by his UK colleague, Tamara McLorg. He worked also with Catholic and Protestant children in Northern Ireland, male and female prisoners, children and adults with learning difficulties, young adults and children in exile, as well as in numerous primary and secondary schools and dance academies. http://www.royston-maldoom.org/

Dance Assistants Gianna Grünig (section 4.1.2 page 17) Ronja Nadler (section 4.3.1 page 43) Mirjam Sögner (section 4.3.4 page 47)

Lighting Designer Pete Ayres Pete Ayres graduated with a B.A. (Hons.) in Technical Theatre Arts, specialising in Lighting Design. He has worked extensively in the field of Contemporary Dance, designing for, amongst others, Adam Benjamin, Mark Bruce, Kate Flatt, Shobana Jayasing, Mavin Khoo, Rosemary Lee, Royston Maldoom, David Massingham, Tamara McLorg, Ian Spink and Finn Walker, and in Jazz Dance, working with the likes of Kevan Allen, David Leighton and Paul Roberts of BPM, Gary Lloyd and Gareth Walker, and touring several times with the Jazz Dance Company Pete has worked in a variety of venues - from African amphitheatres, Berlin bus depots, Croatian castles and metropolitan motorways to nationally important playhouses such as The Royal Albert Hall, The Place Theatre and The South Bank (London), Schauspielhaus (Hamburg), The Cultural Centre, Kaunas (Lithuania), and Addis Ababa City Hall (Ethiopia). He has been involved in several Community Dance projects - including orchestral productions with Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Luxembourg Symphony Orchestra, MDR Sinfonieorchester (Leipzig),

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Russian National Orchestra, Sinfonieorchestra Camerata Schweiz, Tenerife Symphony Orchestra and Carnegie Hall, New York - often including hundreds of participants, ranging from street children of Peru and groups of mixed ability performers, to Senior Citizens of Germany and young women of immigrant families.

Light and Sound technician Atallah Tarazi Atallah started his career as light designer and sound technician in 1994 as a trainee at the Ashtar Theatre. In 1997 Atallah was promoted to technical manager of the theatre, a post he held until 2007. Atallah studied at the BACA Theatre in Gothenburg, Sweden and the Royal court academy (RADA). Atallah has attended, as well as taught many workshops locally and abroad. His theatre decor production skills, and profound experience as light designer and technician, took him to many countries like: Belgium, Norway, France, UK, Holland, Sweden, Spain in Europe; and Turkey, Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Syria in the Middle East, in addition to China and India where Atallah worked with Augusto Boal and Barbara Santos from the Theatre of the Oppressed. He has worked with renowned artists like Allain Platel, Royston Maldoom, Mojisola Adebayo, François Abu-Salim, Stomp, Rashid Taha among many others.

PHOTOGRAPHER Dylan Collins Dylan Collins is a freelance photographer and journalist currently based in the West Bank. His work has been published in Al-Jazeera English, Al-Akhbar English, Mondoweiss, Bikya Misr, Palestine Note, New Politics (Print Edition) and the Palestine Monitor among others. Dylan has a strong interest in capturing untold personal stories through words and photographs. He specializes in investigative reporting and capturing expressive images of everyday life. In addition to his freelance journalism work, Dylan is a high school english litreture teacher at the Friends Boys School in Ramallah.

76 YANTE . youth, art & levante Due to the success in Budrus, YANTE launched dance classes in August 2013 in the neighboring 5.2 Work in Schools village of Qibya, upon the request of the villagers in Qibya. The women were equally appreciative The I CAN MOVE programme recognised the and welcoming. Guided by the artist in residence/ importance of involving and supporting schools teacher at YANTE the classes were accompanied within the occupied Palestinian territories quite by one female trainer to be, who translated as at the outset of the programme. I CAN MOVE is well as participated in the class. Gradually those introducing a slow yet steady process of enriching young trainees started taking over the community the cultural curricula in the Palestinian education work in the form of dance classes, where some sector. of the trainees have already been given the green After cooperating with two Palestinian schools light by their instructors and the organization to in the pilot phase of I CAN MOVE in 2011, the teach unattended. programme than organised the first module in teaching methods, which focused on the age group of 8 to 12 year olds and was implemented The current demand of the schools and community in June 2012 in cooperation with the Friends centres is much higher than the supply that Schools, The Arab Evangelical Episcopal School, YANTE and I CAN MOVE can provide. Hence, Al-Mustaqbal School and Communication school an elective class in community art and dance Palestine red crescent society for deaf and mute education will be very soon offered to students children. More than 100 children from the above of the education department of Birzeit University. mentioned schools participated in the module. The class will facilitate the establishment of a The second module in teaching methods focusing dance education Bachelors programme at Birzeit on the age group 8 – 12 years old was planned University. In partnership with the University to take place together with the schools in January of Cologne for Music and Dance, a minor in 2013. Due to an unfortunate accident of the dance education will be developed first and then module instructor, the module was eventually expanded into a qualitative Bachelors program. organised with Al-Mustaqbal School in May 2013 This programme will be essential for meeting where more than 50 children actively participated, the demand of the schools for dance education and another 50 where passive participants. teachers, as I CAN MOVE expands its work into more community groups, centres, and schools. Also, the performance, “The Rite of Spring / Le Sacre du Printemps,” was organised in For more information on the pedagogy modules and cooperation with many schools. The Friends the exact work that has been done in schools please Schools, the Arab Evangelical Episcopal School, see section 4.1.5 page (22)& 4.3.5 page (47) and Al-Mustaqbal School were actively involved in For more information on the performance “The the rehearsals and creation of the performance, Rite of Spring / Le Sacre du Printemps” please see while many other UNRWA schools, public section 5.1 page (60) schools and private schools were involved in the performances of “The Rite of Spring / Le Sacre du Printemps”, through other news. Some of their students watched the performance, and the topic of child-labour was discussed in the schools before and after the performance. COMMUNITY CLASSES IN VILLAGES. Since April 2013 once a week YANTE is teaching dance classes for woman in Budrus, a village highly affected by the occupation. The class combines physical training, body awareness, basic elements of contemporary dance and has a playful character. It offers the woman a safe environment to get in touch with their bodies, as well as experiencing themselves together in a group, building a sense of community and trust. Very fast, the classes attracted more women (usually between 8 and 15 woman attending), also bringing children and 15-18 year-olds to class.

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5.3 Dance Library at Goethe Institute

The I CAN MOVE programme is set to provide the trainees with tools for research, for analytical thinking, and for independent life long learning capabilities. The YANTE team deems it impossible to teach the I CAN MOVE trainees everything they need in 4 years; therefore it is set to provide them with the necessary skills for regularly expanding their knowledge. One of the most important skills is learning where to look, not only online, but also in books. Hence, YANTE set out the aim of establishing a dance library at the outset of the programme. By the end of the first semester, the team and instructors had collected many books that were stored at the YANTE office in Al-Tireh and were thus, not easily accessible to the trainees who trained at the hall of the Ramallah Youth Club in the city centre. Considering that some of the books provided by the instructors are in German, and that the Robert Schuhmann library of the French-German cultural Institute’s location at less than 100m away from the Ramallah Youth Club hall, YANTE asked the Goethe Institute if they would be interested in hosting their books. The Goethe institute was enthused by the idea, They were so cooperative that within 2 days, all the books were on display. The Goethe Institute did not only provide an ideally accessible place for the trainees, but also access to a wider slice of society. The ANTE trainees were also provided with full access to the Robert Schuhmann library and media-tech free of charge.

List Of Books

Title Author (s) ISBN

1 Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery Eric Franklin 0-87322-475-2

2 Dance Anatomie Jacqui Greene Haas 978-3-7679-1046-1

3 Hands on Yoga Nadezhda Georgieva 978-3-939272-05-2

4 Condiioning for Dance Eric Franklin 978-0-7360-4156-0

5 Preventing Dance Injuries- 2nd Edition Ruth Solomon, John Solomon, Sandra Cerny Minton 978-0-7360-5567-3

6 Sport Stretch Michael J. Alter 0-88011-823-7

7 Dance Technique of Jose Limon Daniel Lewis 978-0-87127-209-6

8 The Pilates Method of Physical & Philip Friedman & Gail Eisen 0-14-200504-5 Mental Conditioning 9 Done Into Dance: Isadora in America Ann Daly 0-253-32924-8

10 Goddess Robert Tracy 0-87910-086-9

11 An Unfinished Memoir Jose Limon 0-8195-6374-9

12 Contact Improvisation Thomas Kaltenbrunner 978-3-89899-515-3

13 Tanzmedizin in der Praxis Liane Simmel 978-3-89487-596-1

14 Dance Spellers II: Motive for Motion Maria Speth 978-90-805732-3-9

15 Grundlagen des Klassischen Tanzes Agrippina J. Waganowa 978-3-89487-418-6

78 YANTE . youth, art & levante Title Author (s) ISBN 16 Ballet Basics Sandra Noll Hammond 0-87484-258-1

17 Progressive Muskelentspannung Dr. Freidrich Hainbuch 978-3-7742-6146-6

18 Isadora: A Sensational Life Peter Kurth 0-316-50726-1 19 In touch with Marion Gough 1873783019

20 The illustrated Dance Technique of Daniel Lewis 9780871272096 José Limón 21 Anatomie der Bewegung Blandine Calais-Germain 3865390382

22 Developmental Movement for Veronica Sherborne 521379032 Children 23 Children Dancing Rosamund Shreeves 0-70623832

24 Yoga Anatomie 3D. Band 2 Ray Long 9783868831030 25 Ballet for Dummies Scott Speck & 0-764525689 Evelyn Cisneros 26 Dance Imagery for Technique and Eric Franklin 0-873229436 Performance 27 Yoga Anatomie 3D. Band 1 Ray Long 9783868831030

28 Royston Maldoom. Community Dance. Jacalyn Carley 9783894876586

29 Tanz um dein Leben Royston Maldoom 9783596182718

30 TOP Dance. Handbuch

31 First Steps in Dance

Scores No. 1. Touché 32 33 Stepping Stones. Advantures in Dance

34 Primary Dance. Key Stage 1

35 Primary Dance. Key Stage 2

36 Creative Dance. Key Stage 1

37 Positivity Barbara L. Fredrickson 9780307393746

38 Ethel Winter and her choreography Karin Hermes 9783833463273 En Dolor 39 Beckenboden-Power Eric Franklin 3466344581

40 The Technique Of Martha Graham Alice Helpern

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Exhibition: Smell the Research by the 5.4 yasmine and taste 5.5 Interuniversity the olives Institute of Social Development and The Austrian artist Jasmin Hoffer, in cooperation Peace, Spain with YANTE and the Government of Styria , has created an exhibition in the City of Graz at “Das Andere Theater” in the framework of In June 2013 five researchers from the Master the the 21st international Bühnenwerkstatt. The programme Peace, Conflict and Development Exhibition, titled “Smell the yasmine and taste the Studies from the Special Unit for Peace olives” consisted of: Intervention in Conflict and Support to UNAOC at the Interuniversity Institute of Social • Smell the yasmine: a series of 25 Photos Development and Peace (IUDESP, Spain) joined • A 5 minutes dance Performance the I CAN MOVE programme from the 11th – • Taste the olives a 10 minutes video 26th of June 2013. The exhibition reflects the impressions, The research team conducted ethnographic experiences and encounters the artist Jasmin fieldwork with the Yante trainees in Ramallah Hoffer had during her one-month residency at for 20 days to explore the positive impacts of the I CAN MOVE programme in Palestine. the I CAN MOVE programme on the wellbeing of the young trainees, the social environment, The title of the exhibition refers to the first text the families and, at the same time, the street message Jasmin Hoffer received on her phone children that participated in the performance of upon her arrival in Palestine. The text massage was “The Rite of Spring / Le Sacre du Printempts”. from the Palestinian network provider JAWWAL, The aim of the research team was to analyze the and it said: “Marhaba, smell the yasmine and taste possible positive effects for non-violence, conflict the olives. JAWWAL welcomes you to Palestine. For transformation, social change and human rights in costumer service please call 111.” the area. The research team together with the I CAN Video of the exhibition: MOVE trainees, created an artistic short-film https://vimeo.com/45368221 about the I CAN MOVE programme, focusing on the trainees and their dancing. The short film was Video of the Dance Performance: presented to the Plural+ Youth Video contest of https://vimeo.com/42635065 the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and can be seen under this link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8MPzeVtT1E

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6. Media Coverage 82 YANTE . youth, art & levante I CAN MOVE in it´s first year and a half after the launch has been very well received and embraced by audiences, children, parents, social and cultural civil society organizations, the ministry of Culture, the Ministry of education, the ministry of social affairs, and quite significantly his Excellency Prime Minister Dr. Salam Fayyad, where the Primiere of “The Rite of Spring / Le Sacre du Printemps” on the 14.03.2013 Coverage at the Ramallah Cultural Palace was under his Excellence`s Auspice. 83 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013 6. Media Coverage. The programme with it´s actions also celebrated much success in the media. The following televisions, news agencies, radios, newspapers, magazines and social networks covered the activities of the I CAN MOVE programme. I CAN MOVE in Newspapers & Magazines Online / Print

This Week in Palestine, Al-Ayyam Newspaper, Trouw, Internation Youth Foundation. Wafa. Palestine News & Info Agency, Petra News Agency, The Stanford Daily, Al-Dustour Newspaper, AMENDS Proceedings 2013, TMFM.NET, Reuters, PNN, Al Quds, Fikr conferences, BarakaBits: good news from the middle east, MBC.NET, Panet, Fajr Elektronic Newspaper, Middle East News Paper, , Akademie Remscheid, Al-Quds Al-Arabi, Al-Haya Al-Jadida, Topsongz.org, gbnr.com, mashpedia.com, mroom.ps, Al-Jarida.com,

I CAN MOVE in Television

Ro’ya Television: http://goo.gl/ECCLdq Al-Falastinaya Television: http://goo.gl/8dQqWt Skynews Arabia: http://goo.gl/LQJZ0L Al-Hora, MBC, Al-Arabiya, Al-Jazeera, Palestine TV, WAFA, Palestinian News Network, Al-quds TV, Russia today, Maan, PMCC, Watan TV.

I CAN MOVE on the Radio

Radio Monte Carlo, BBC Radio, Ajyal Radio station, Amwaj Radio station, Radio Monticarlo, Nisaa’ FM, Bethlehem 2000, Radio All for Peace, Raya FM.

Partners

British Council Palestine, Goethe Institute Palestine, Euromed Youth Unit, Austrian Development cooperation, Arab Fund for arts and Culture, DU Dance, Anna Lindh Foundation, UNESCO, movetolearn. com, Birzeit University. I CAN MOVE in Social Media:

I CAN MOVE uses various social media channels such as Facebook and our own YouTube channel:

YouTube http://www.youtube.com/user/yantecan Many videos of trainings, workshops, modules, showings, performances, trailers and speeches can be found on our YouTube Channel. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/I.CAN.MOVE The Facebook page of I CAN MVOE is used as a platform to connect the trainees with each other and for them to share material with the interested audience and dancers who are not only in Palestine, but all over the world. The page keeps the followers updated on what is happening within the programme, about events, performances, workshop invitations, news from the organisation, as well as tips and interesting links. The facebook page has reached 709 likes. The audience reach varies on average between 55% female and 42% male. The average weekly total reach is about 507. The highest audience group lies with 18-24 year olds (43%), with an almost equal representation of both sexes: 22% females and 21% males. The

84 YANTE . youth, art & levante second highest age group are 25-34 year olds (25%), followed by 13-17 year olds (12%), then 35-44 (9%), then 45-54 (5%), second to last are the +65 (1.7%), and last are the 55 – 64 (1.3%). The page reached a peak in February and March, when it was strongly activate as part of the awareness campaign accompanying the performance of “The Rite of Spring / Le Sacre du Printemps” targeting street- children / child-labourers. In February, 20,580 persons were reached, while 2890 persons commented and interacted on the Facebook page in March in resonance to the Premiere on the 14.03.2013.

Group The I CAN MOVE community dance facebook-group holds high popularity with 1.535 members and is growing every day. It also builds a platform for exchange. Blogspots: Youthactionnet, Giving Back by Steve Ketchpel I CAN MOVE has produced various Communication Products such as Press Releases, invitations for showings, classes, workshops, performances; posters, newsletters, calls for participants, advertisements and others.

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Conferences, Symposiums & 7. Prize nominations

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Already the importance and value of I CAN Quite early on, the value of the programme was MOVE has been acknowledged through prizes recognized by ,the Swedish Institute where Nadia and nominations, as well as invitations of the Arouri was selected for the She Entrepreneurs founder Nadia Arouri to conferences and Programme. The programme took place in symposiums. Sweden, 6th – 17th of April, 2013 / and Jordan 14th – 19th of October. Nadia Arouri, founder of YANTE, has been nominated to the King Abdallah Award for Youth Innovation and Achievements for the I CAN MOVE programme. The award results were announced on May 26 at the World Economic Forum at the Dead Sea, Jordan. Nadia was amongst 10 exemplary young leaders, who were selected from an applicant pool of more than 365 youth from 13 Arab countries. http://library.iyfnet.org/sites/default/files/library/ KAAYIA_2012_Annual_Report.pdf The I CAN MOVE programme is also one of For the beautiful short video made by the refined the finalists for the United Nations Alliance filmmaker Mr. Khaled Abdeljabbar, founder of of Civilizations – “Living Together Peacefully Future Vision, in Jordan, please visit in a Diverse World” prize together with the https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trd8L9ngf7A Government of Azerbaijan. The winners were announced at the 2nd World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue in Baku, Azerbaijan from Take Part the 29.05.2013 – 01.06.2013. DONATE!!

NEWSLETTER, EDITION 1 30.07.2013 Finalist Synergoes Fellowhsip: YES, IT’S US AGAIN! DANCE TECHNIQUE: it took us a while, but we have so much to tell you... Nadia Arouri, founder of YANTE, has also been Trainers for Dance Technique classes: amongst the finalists for the Synergos Fellowhsip – the Arab World Social Innovators Programme

Ronja Nadler Germany in support of the I CAN MOVE programme. The Jan/Feb 2013 Bartenieff selection was made from an applicant pool of Fundamentals We are happy to announce that Nadia Arouri, founder of YANTE, has been nominated to the King Abdallah Award for Youth around 200 applicants from 13 Arab countries. Innovation and achievements for the I CAN MOVE programme. The award results were announced on May 26 at the World Economic The award results were announced in 23.08.2013. Forum at the Dead Sea, Jordan. Nadia was amongst 10 exemplary young leaders, who were selected from an applicant pool of more than 365 youth from 13 Arab countries. Mirjam Sögner Austria YANTE would like to thank the award team and the March/April 2013 Conferences & Symposiums: reﬁned ﬁlmmaker Mr. Khaled Abdeljabbar founder of Sequential Order Future Vision in Jordan, for the beautiful short video he The founder and artistic director Nadia Arouri, made about I CAN MOVE. Click here to watch MODULES was invited to speak at AMENDS: American Middle Eastern Network for Dialogue at Upon her nomination, Nadia Arouri, Trainers for Intensive Module Courses: was invited for an interview with Ro’ya Television in Jordan, to talk Stanford: A dialogue platform bringing Middle about the I CAN MOVE project. Mags Byrne Eastern and American agents of change together. Click here to watch Norhtern Ireland May 2013 The annual summit brings together delegates for How to teach children age ALSO REPORTING ON THE 8 – 12 their potential to affect real change in the region AWARD NOMINATIONS on the basis of ongoing projects they lead around An article by Sheila Kinkade on behalf of the International Youth Foundation. a variety of social, economic, environmental, and Click here to read Judith E. Kaufmann Austria May 2013 political issues. The summit took place at Stanford Petra News Agency and Al-Dustour newspaper reported on the Dance Anatomy award nominations as well. and Nutrition University in Silicon Valley’s Palo Alto, USA, from Click here to read the Petra article Click here to read Al-Dustour article the 15th - 17th of April, 2013. WORKING WITH SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES - MUSTAQBAL SCHOOLS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXm-Du5ZdE4

Following the great cooperation with various schools in Ramallah in 2012, the I CAN MOVE trainees have again worked with children of the 5th and 6th Nadia Arouri was also invited to present the I grade of the Mustaqbal schools resulting in a small showing on the 16.05.2013. CAN MOVE programme as part of the “Fikr & We thank the Mustaqbal schools for the great cooperation, and we look forward to working with them again, Afkar” session, presenting ideas, projects or best and developing this partnership further. practices with a positive impact on society at Al-

FOLLOW US ON Thank you, and hope you are as excited as we are about this Fikr Conference. The Arab Thought Foundation’s annual FIKR conference is a unique world class event that brings together intellectuals, decision- AUSTRIA PALESTINE E-MAIL & WEB Stumpergasse 57/58, 1060 Vienna 16. Al-jami’a Street, 72100 Ramallah [email protected] Mobile: +43 (0) 676 3193323 Mobile: +972 (0) 592 123216 / www.yante-icanmove.org makers, thinkers, researchers, and representatives Tel/Fax: +43 (0) 1 9717946 +972 (0) 599 795907 of the private sector, as well as civil society and

88 YANTE . youth, art & levante youth along with their international counterparts to discuss the most pressing issues facing the Arab region and the world. The Conference took place in Dubai from the 26th – 27th of November 2012. http://fikrconferences.org/en/nadia-arouri

Nadia Arouri was also invited to present the I CAN MOVE programme as part of the Choreographic Atelier of the Academy in Remscheid (Choreografisches Atelier an der Akademie Remscheid), where methods of movement communication and new dance impetus are presented. The Choreographic Atelier took place from the 13th – 17th of May 2013. Nadia Arouri also took part in “The return of the idocs” – IDOCDE International Documentation of Contemporary Dance Education Symposium that took place within the ImPuls Tanz Vienna International Dance Festival in Vienna from the 26th – 28th July, 2013.

89 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013 8. team yante

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Artistic Director

Nadia Arouri Born in Jerusalem and founder of YANTE – Youth, Art and Levante – Nadia founded the community dance movement in Palestine after accompanying the organisation team of the Sounding Jerusalem Festival for five years, and heading its team between 2009 and 2010. She is a Graduate of the Friends Schools and the Edward Sa’ed Conservatory of Music (piano). She studied cello at the Barenboim-Said Foundation (2003-2005), and was in charge of the administration of their Youth Orchestra exchange program (2005-Palestine and 2006-Germany). She worked as a production manager a.o. “Her Position in Transition” festival, and “The Secret World” film production. Nadia studied “Contemporary Dance Pedagogy” at the Vienna Conservatory, Musicology at the University of Vienna ,where she wrote her master thesis on Palestinian traditional music, and Cultural Management at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna. She is a dancer, choreographer and tutor at various dancing troupes in Palestine and Austria since 2005, which which has taken her on tour to various international venues.

Team Programme Manager: Nora Markt

Nora joined the YANTE Team as Programme manager in Palestine in 2013. She holds a degree in theatre, film and media studies from the University of Vienna, Austria. Nora worked in the field of cultural management for several years, gathering experience with organisations such as dasweissehaus (Vienna, Austria), KulturKontakt Austria (Vienna, Austria), and TanzAtelier Wien (Vienna, Austria). Driven by her interest for art and culture as an agent for social change and sustainable peace, she pursued a masters in peace studies and conflict resolution from the University of Basel, Switzerland. Her most recent project was a Pilot for the organization, Move This World, Inc. (New York, USA) in Vienna. Currently she is also training in mediation. Coordinator: Summar Rasras Summar joined Yante as trainee with the launch of the I CAN MOVE programme for training Palestinian dance teachers and choreographers in February 2012. She also joined the YANTE administrative team in mid 2013 as project coordinator. She is a fourth year law student at Birzeit University, Palestine. Summar is very active in youth organisations. She works as a life guard and volunteers as a tourist guide for cultural exchange groups. She has independently started a Dabke group where she also teaches dance.

Assistant coordinator: Abed Shouman Abed joined Yante as a trainee with the launch of the I CAN MOVE programme for training Palestinian dance teachers and choreographers in February 2012. He also joined the YANTE administrative team in mid 2013 as assistant coordinator. He is the all-round talent on the team and has work experience in logistics, hospitality and construction as well as cooking at weddings. He is very active, not only in dance, but other sports as well and is a volunteer at the Ramallah Youth Club. He also participated in the Ramallah International Volunteer Camp.

92 YANTE . youth, art & levante Preparation of printed materials & networking:

Graphic & web Designer: Laila Akel Laila got her associate degree in Implied Science from Cedar Valley collage, USA in 2003. Her main interest quickly focused on web design and online marketing, and she continues to learn and work in that domain. She gathered her experience in the past 10 years through working with different types of companies, such as Hadara (ISP Company in Palestine), Cross-town Trader (Online apparel store in USA), and Alternative Business Solutions (Advertising agency in Palestine) as an Online Marketing Manager. Laila’s latest project was a tourism portal (www.visitpalestine.ps), which promotes Palestine as a tourism destination. She Joined Yante’s team in early 2013, and has been working on the organization’s marketing material since.

Organigram & Project Team

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94 YANTE . youth, art & levante Partners & 9. Supporters

The I CAN MOVE programme has evolved into a hub bringing together many partners, who each in their own right have made a significant contribution to the success of the programme. Here we would like to humbly mention those alphabetically.

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Partners:

UR.bana

Diwan Company The Tammoun Municipality Toubas Governorate

University of Cologne for Music and Dance

Total communication school Palestine red cross society

96 YANTE . youth, art & levante Supporters

Verein internationales jugendtanztheater duisburg

97 july - august I CAN MOVE . community dance palestine 2013 coming soon.... stay tuned

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