What is Dabke?

Dabke (also transliterated 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 handkerchief or string of beads known as a masbha, while the rest of the dancers keep the rhythm.