March 2, 12–1:30 p.m.
Film Forum, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts

Join us for a public talk by guest-artist-in-dance Sharaf DarZaid: "Art under Conditions of Oppression"

"This presentation addresses the impact of socio-political oppression on artists and explores the concept and role of artistic resistance to internal and external oppression whereby art is used as a non-violent form of struggle for human rights. It also sheds light on some examples we are facing at Popular Art Centre in organizing cultural events, as well as how we in El-Funoun Palestinian Dance troupe deal with dance and what it means for us, even on a technical level."

While at Cornell, DarZaid will also give AfroDabke dance technique classes February 26–March 5 in room 320, Schwartz Center, and will perform his solo “To Be ...” in the Locally Grown Dance (LGD) concert March 5–7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Schwartz Center's Kiplinger Theatre.

The talk and technique classes are free and open to the public. Tickets for Locally Grown Dance are available at schwartztickets.com.

Sharaf DarZaid is a Palestinian artist, art manager, and member of EI-Funoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe, Palestine’s leading dance group, in Ramallah.

He completed the International Baccalaureate in high school and then went on to study at Birzeit University, graduating in 2009 with a B.A. in Business Administration. In 2012, DarZaid graduated with an M.A. in Art Management from the Utrecht School of the Arts, Netherlands. In 2015, he published his book Art Management in an Environment of Oppression.

DarZaid choreographs, teaches, and performs in folkloric and contemporary works with El-Funoun. He is also the Projects Manager at the Popular Art Centre (PAC) in Ramallah and coordinates the Palestine International Festival, the Dance School, and other projects. His work as a performer and choreographer is also seen in different local and international professional dance productions and festivals.

DarZaid trains youth groups at PAC dance school, co-coaches and directs different Training-for-Trainer courses, gives workshops in both Palestinian folkloric and contemporary dance, and has trained and/or established youth dance groups in marginalized communities and refugee camps.

This Guest-Artist-in-Dance program has been made possible through the generous gift of Cheryl Whaley and Eric Aboaf.