Palestinian Dance Troupe El-Funoun Performs in Ottawa

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published October 23, 2026
Updated October 23, 2026

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The Palestinian dance ensemble El-Funoun will perform Ya Saheb Al Tair at Ottawa’s Algonquin Commons Theatre on Thursday, October 29, bringing a contemporary interpretation of Palestinian folklore to Canadian audiences. The performance will feature 30 troupe members travelling from Palestine and marks the final stop of a three-city Canadian tour.

The production, directed by Noora Baker and Atta Khattab, combines traditional dabke, music and theatrical choreography to explore Palestinian collective memory and attachment to the land. Its title draws on a folk song urging the owner of a bird to protect it, a metaphor the artists use to examine cultural responsibility and belonging. Development began in 2023, was interrupted by the war in Gaza, and culminated in performances in Ramallah and Amman in December 2025. The music includes arrangements by Syrian composer Saad Al-Husseini

Ottawa is the third destination on the Canadian itinerary, following a scheduled October 25 performance at Mississauga’s Living Arts Centre and an October 27 engagement at L’Olympia in Montreal. The tour is presented by Mosaic of Cultures in collaboration with the Palestinian Youth Movement, the Canadian Palestinian Foundation of Quebec and the Association of Palestinian Arab Canadians.

Founded in 1979, El-Funoun has performed more than 1,000 times and established itself as an influential presence in Palestinian performing arts. The ensemble is known for adapting traditional dance and music for contemporary audiences while maintaining strong community ties. It also helped establish the Popular Arts Centre in 1987 to support cultural education and artistic participation.