PERFORMANCES AT THE PORTAL
PORTAL TO G AZ A | 8AM TO 11:30AM | FREE PORTAL TO DIASPORA | 1:30PM TO 5 :30PM | FREE
OCTOBER 5-8 | 12 PM TO 1PM | DAC | $ 10
OCTOBER 7
featuring an appearance by the qattan women’s choir in gaza
nabil diab is a Palestinian stand-up comedian living in the Gaza Strip. He began doing stand-up comedy in May 2014, after years of experience working with international and local NGOs in a variety of capacities. Nabil also worked at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in youth programs, theater, cinema, and music, helping thousands of young girls and boys in Gaza develop their artistic skills.
wathec salman is a Syrian flamenco dancer who began dancing in 1999 in Damascus, Syria. His recent performances are uniquely known to combine traditional Spanish flamenco with Oriental music. The result is an original Spanish flavored dance, inspired by Middle Eastern traditional music. He has performed more than 60 original shows with his group in many Arab countries, including two shows held at the famous Damascus Opera House in the Syrian capital.
the sanctuaries is an art collective born in the neighborhoods of Washington, DC. In 2013, after months of conversations, Reverend Erik Martínez Resly brought more than twenty neighbors together to build a new type of community that they couldn’t find anywhere else. Their vision was clear: they wanted a community that was as diverse as the city they lived in, where creative and soulful people could come together in an authentic way to collaborate on artistic projects that promoted social change. They imagined filling the city with these safe and sacred spaces — these “sanctuaries.” That was the beginning. The Sanctuaries has grown a lot since then. But they remain committed to the bold and collaborative spirit of those early founders. al anqaa group for arts was created in 2005 in Gaza, Palestine by a group of amateur artists. Composed of 35 dancers, the group blends traditional and modern arts through blending folklore with modern dance. In 2013, Al Anqaa won first place in the “Torathiyat” competition in the Gaza Strip. In 2015, they opened an institution for teaching arts like dabke and folkloric dancing. The institution aims to preserve Palestinian culture by educating all generations about Palestinian folklore. Al Anqaa also aims to bridge cultures and represent Palestine through the arts.