Palestinian Artist Highlight: Dancer & Choreographer Noora Baker
Noora Baker: Choreographer, director and performer based in Palestine.
Noora started dancing at the age of 7 with El-Funoun Dance Troupe, Palestine. She is a choreographer, director and head of training and production at El-Funoun. She is also an international performer and maker that has worked collaboratively with artists such as Helena Waldman, Yoshiko Chuma and Andre, Gingras. She is a co-founder and member of CACTUS performance art collective since 2012 and has worked on several projects internationally. She earned a BA degree from BZU in Business Administration and an MA in Performance making from Goldsmiths University of London.
Last year we had the pleasure of having the New Zealand team over to El-Funoun where talented artist Paitangi gave a workshop to the dancers in Maori folk dance. Their visit was an important visit to us in El-Funoun as we search to connect with cultures that are marginalised and under threat of being lost. Paitangi’s workshop was memorable and close to our hearts. Everyone was able to relate to her and what she was giving. We hope to build on this experience as it is ironically difficult to keep the connection in todays world.
I consider myself a performing artist who is producing work in an exciting and eccentric way that is relevant to today’s reality. My work challenges the audience and leaves space for observation and different interpretations.
