Al Ayyam News Review "6 Seconds in Ramallah" 2010
[Yoshiko Chuma's 6 Seconds in Ramallah] was the most controversial performance from all that was performed at the “Ramallah Contemporary Dance Festival 2011”where you had people who either loved it or hated it.
Muna Samara (from the audience) said: I was so moved by the performance that I had tears in my eyes in parts of the performance and in particular when the Japanese musician was playing a sad melody. It was an interesting experience to see El-Funoun with Japanese artist and it was definitely different from anything El-Funoun did before. This success is a proof that El-Funuon is able to present and this time with Japanese artist a collage between contemporary dance and folklore.
Iman Salameh (Graphic designer, from the audience) said: El-Funoun was able to prove yet again that it always succeeds to excel in whatever they do whether it was on their own or in collaboration with other artists. This performance was beautiful and touching.
Wadee’ Hannani (TV producer, from the audience): I could not sit through the performance, what I saw was an inharmonious performance on stage. The music was good so was the tsunami effect and perhaps the performers on stage on an individual level, however the performance as a whole was inharmonious and it did not reflect both cultures the Palestinian and Japanese. I also think that one month is not enough to come out with a good co production on all levels. In general the performance was boring!
Khaled Qatamesh: this production is the most contemporary performance in El-Funoun history. It was a result of a one month continuous workshop with the renowned Japanese artist Yoshiko Chuma. This experience took us to unfamiliar new places in art and the experience itself is the most important thing for El-Funoun and not only the performance. It was an experimental performance and should be viewed as such. Many of the audience judged it as “El-Funoun” production which is incorrect and perhaps if they looked at it as a coproduction that came out of a month’s workshop they would have judged it differently. We are proud of this experience in presenting a contemporary performance.
Noora Baker: This performance is experimental and does not really fall under “contemporary dance”. It is an abstract production that incorporates visual arts and performing arts. What was important in this production is opening up to new cultures such as the Japanese that we have not had any connection with in the past. This production has six different projects put in one and it has to be seen as such. There was dance, documentation through video, documentation through photography, music, singing and visual art.
