Farah Saleh, a Palestinian choreographer living in Ramallah, was leaving the Kasaba Theater in the center of town on Saturday, March 8, where the performance she directed and choreographed had just premiered. She was confronted by a group of marching young men and women who had come together upon hearing of the death of Arafat Jaradat, a 30-year-old Palestinian who had been picked up six days earlier by Israeli forces and died in prison, allegedly under torture or severe mistreatment.

They were calling for shops and places of entertainment to close. I asked Farah how she felt about being involved in dance when hundreds of Palestinian prisoners were on hunger strike in Israeli prisons and demonstrations against the army and settlers were taking place in various parts of the West Bank.

She answered: “I was struck by the clash between the joy I was feeling about the success of the show and the sadness I felt for the death of a fellow Palestinian under torture. But there was no contrition about the work we’re doing. I believe that dance serves the Palestinian cause just as much as any other kind of resistance.” She added: “But then, these conflicting emotions are typical of the situation we live under. It is another example of 'ordinary madness,' the title of the show I directed.”