Dabke is a popular Arabic dance that originated in the mountains of the Levantine region; including Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. Dabke is derived from the Arabic word meaning “kick with feet” or “make noise” or simply “tap”.
The legend says that people from the Levantine region made the roof of their houses with branches of trees and mud. When the weather changed, the mud cracked. Family and community members would gather to repair it, forming a line, joining hands and stomping on the mud instead.
Once better technology was available for roofing, the story of their dance work was passed down from generation to generation to remind them of the importance of family, community and tradition. Today, dabke is seen around the world at weddings, family reunions and celebrations.
A basic dabke pattern is quite similar to a 6-beat line dance. It has 6 steps and the dancers usually move to the right. There are 6 main types of dabke dance: shamaliyya, sha’rawaiyya, karadiyya, farah, ghazal and sahja. Al shamaliyya is the most common style of dabke and is danced by both men and women joining hands in a line or circle.
The dabke is a vital part of the Palestinian heritage that helps to preserve the Palestinian identity that the occupation has tried to eliminate.
This dance requires energy and strength, which is performed in the form of a semicircle, usually with 6 to 15 dancers. There is a leader, called “Al-lawah”, who must be a funny and charming person.
There are many types of Palestinian Dabke, the most typical being “Al-Dabke” and “Al-shamalie”. These dances begin with a melody, which the “Kawil” begins to sing, then the dancers begin to move their legs in a way that is similar to a step of a military order. Once the “Kawil” has finished singing, the leader of the group “Al-lawah” begins to dance alone, so all the dancers perform simple movements until the leader of the group notices that they are moving in exactly the same way. Once this has happened, he gives the signal for everyone to start dancing and the dance begins.
The dabke allow us to show the history, struggle and aspirations of the Palestinian people. So traditional tales, songs , wedding customs play an important role within the Palestinian resistance. Where for many Palestinians in the absence of true sovereignty, folk culture reaffirms their identity.