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Events -
SPHR Current Events and Activities
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 After a tremendous success with the theatrical play "Citizenship .. Palestine?" in both Montreal and Ottawa and the achievements of SPHR's dabkeh troupes (Tal-Alzaatar in Montreal and Haneen in Ottawa), SPHR is proud to resume its program in giving free dabke dance lessons as part of its efforts to expose the Palestinian culture and heritage . Everyone is welcome , No past experience is neessary.
- In Ottawa email
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or
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- In Montreal email
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What is Dabke?
Dabke (also translit! erated from the Arabic as debke and dabkeh) is the traditional folk dance of the Levant, going back generations in the Middle East. It can be danced by men, women, or both, with different steps and rhythms. Dabke is a dance of community, often performed at weddings and other joyous occasions. Like other folk dances of Turkey, Greece, Armenia, and Eastern Europe, dabke is a line dance, similar to the hora and Ashkenazic freilekhs.
However, it is also a dance of solidarity and a way of expressing nationalism and the age-old presence of art and culture in a positive way. The dabke leader is supposed to be like a tree, with arms in the air, a proud and upright trunk, and feet that stomp the ground in rhythm, emphasizing their connection to their land. Its meaning in Arabic is "stomping of the feet," and stomping, as well as jumping and kicking, are moves that characterize the dabke in a unique manner. The leader, or raas, is allowed to improvise on the type! of dabke being danced, and he or she would also be twirling a handker chief or string of beads known as a masbha, while the rest of the dancers keep the rhythm. |
