SALAL is a full-length interpretive work created by Douban Professional Dance that combines dance, theater, and singing to reflect the cultural and social diversity of Jerusalem throughout history.
Starting from creation, Douban’s approach to interpreting common historical tales is unique and builds on the theme of coexistence and equality. The culmination of these tales is to show how Jerusalem has embraced its different communities and benefited from diversity, and how this diversity has shaped Jerusalemites’ identity to this day.
Through each gate into the Old City, groups of dancers representing different cultures (Armenian, African, Moroccan, European, Turkish, Roma [Gypsies], Coptic, Kurdish) perform dances that reflect various styles of traditional and contemporary dance. Throughout history, these groups arrived in Jerusalem as pilgrims, refugees, or defenders, only to fall in love with it and immerse themselves in its culture, history, and development.
By its end, through storytelling and movement, SALAL conveys a message from Jerusalem about Jerusalem, a city outside time and space: Evil can be overcome when people focus on common human values and work together as a community.
Over 100 artists from around the world collaborated on the work in 2018, including choreographers from Africa.
With an original soundtrack composed by the talented Palestinian American composer, violinist, and producer Akram Abdulfattah.