Local Palestinian dance group feels ‘silence’ after being dropped from art fair

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) -A St. Louis Palestinian dance group claims their culture was ‘cancelled’ after being asked to perform at the St. Louis Arts Fair to later find out they were dropped.

The Art Fair says it has fostered a diverse and inclusive artistic community for 30-years, however after learning this news the Canaan Wellspring dance troupe disagrees.

“I feel like it’s a way to silence us. To hide us,” said Haneen Ghannam, a dancer on the troupe.

She says she views the stage as her canvas and her moves showcases art and culture.

“I feel powerful when I’m up there,” said Ghannam. “I feel powerful and loud. They’re making it seem to be something controversial when it’s not. It’s a traditional dance.” Canaan Wellspring’s coach and director, Hanan Hamed, says the St. Louis Art Fair reached out to the group back in June. Eventually, the says it group applied and has email documentation that shows they selected a day to perform. Over a week later, fair leaders told them it was too late for them to get a contract to perform.

Monday, St. Louis Art Fair’s board chair, Suzanne Dalton Kearins sent First Alert 4 a statement saying it was operating under a program publication deadline.

The Saint Louis Art Fair’s mission is to inspire and engage our community with the foremost celebration of exceptional visual art. Since 1994, our organization has made every effort to produce a welcoming, inclusive celebration of the arts for our entire St. Louis community by wholly focusing on our mission, while adhering to the highest standards and values. It has come to our attention that a dance group, who was not formally engaged by contract to perform during our festival weekend, has posted misinformation about their interactions with our staff by stating that we cancelled their performance. In July, Executive Director Sarah Umlauf was unable to move forward with formally booking the group’s performance for lack of the requisite information. Ms. Umlauf was operating under a program publication deadline and moved forward with performers who were already under contract.

Last week, the troupe posted on Instagram it wouldn’t be performing. Hamed says a former Art Fair intern messaged them the real reason why. “The Executive Director to her that it can be controversial for us to perform and that she doesn’t want to upset her, the way she put it, ‘Jewish donors.’” Tuesday, we heard from Art Fair leaders again, after several attempts to confirm the former intern’s allegations.

First Alert 4 got a different story from Executive Director Sarah Umlauf.

As stated in our mission, we are an arts-based organization, wrote Umlauf. When I wasn’t able to the focus of the organization due to a lack of information and ascertain that it was arts-based, as well, I did express concerns (at work) that the performance could be viewed as a political stance and that we need to represent everyone and be a comfortable and welcoming space for all. If we are not a comfortable and welcoming space for all, it could negatively impact sponsor relations.”

“Any encounter or situation like this the goal is to silence us, the goal is to erase us,” Ghannam said. The dance troupe would like to talk with St. Louis Art Fair leaders and says it would like to use this as a way to educate, but they’re glad the former intern said something. “I think what hurts the most is like the lies and ways of trying to cover up the honesty,” Hamed. St. Louis Art Fair confirmed the intern quit last week.

First Alert 4 obtained the resignation letter from the intern.

After the events of the past couple days it seems that a continued working relationship will not be possible. I am incredibly disappointed in the decisions that have been made in regards to the Palestinian dance group, Canaan Wellspring Dabke Dance Troupe.

My actions have aligned with my values since learning that the Canaan Wellspring was misled to believe that I informed leadership that I was waiting on information from them. This is simply not the case. I was told not to send them the contract and cease communication after their date had been confirmed. It is important to note that reaching out to Canaan Wellspring wasn’t a rogue intern decision. This was discussed with leadership prior to the group selecting a date. I was not directed to stop communicating with them until after the date was confirmed and contracts were ready to be sent.

My assigned task was to find culturally diverse groups that represented St. Louis. Upon completion of that task, I was told that would cause the organization to lose a very specific subset of sponsors and spark controversy. While I understand that a charitable organization needs financial backers to run, it is incredibly hypocritical to espouse creating a “culturally diverse” stage and simultaneously exclude specific cultural groups due to fear of financial losses.

This summer taught me many things about my working values. Unfortunately, since ours do not align, this working relationship must come to an end.

The St. Louis Arts Fair is set to get underway this Friday.

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