RAMALLAH, West Bank — Under the name El-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe, Mohammad Yaacoub and friends Mohammed Atta and Wassim al-Kurdi embarked on a journey of interpreting Palestinian folk songs accompanied by dance and dabke (Levantine Arab folk dance) shows with the objective of preserving Palestinian heritage and folklore.

El-Funoun, whose members have volunteered their work since its inception and continue to do so, was the first troupe for mixed folk arts in the West Bank after the 1967 occupation. It has performed nearly 1,000 shows locally, regionally and internationally, and produced 15 performances that combine cultural authenticity and modernity.

The three co-founders of El-Funoun said there are reasons other than the preservation of Palestinian folklore behind the group. Co-founder Yaacoub told Al-Monitor, “We decided to establish El-Funoun to be part of the change, and because we believe that art is a part of the revolutionary and popular movement against the [Israeli] occupation, and an authentic component of the popular fabric and its national and cultural aspirations, under the prevailing secrecy surrounding cultural events given the occupation harassment.”

El-Funoun’s artistic vision is inspired from historical folklore to develop contemporary folk art that contributes to bringing about a change in society and individuals. “We have believed from the beginning that art under the occupation cannot be neutral," Yaacoub said, "but it has to have an enlightening and educational role and to favor national causes, based on our belief that our work is part of the resistance to the occupation.”