Palestine / Jordan / Syria
Dabke is the traditional dance of the Levant area (Al-Sham), practiced in Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan and southern Iraq. It’s the dance that brings the people of towns together, shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, moving in one pattern and in unison to the classical rhythms that vary from geography to another, accompanied with the main wind instruments of Mijwiz, Shubabeh (flute) or Yarghoul. Dabke is the dance of celebration; it’s the tradition of farmers and land workers and goes back to the days of the Canaanites who celebrated the harvest of their crops, the joy of a wedding or simply any occasion that called for the people to unite. Through the Dabke workshop, the audience will have the chance to learn the basic moves of Dabke as well as the complex ones, but will mostly get to know the soul and spirit of the communities who practice it. You will learn also the basic formats of the rhythms played on the Darboukah, the percussion that moves the dancers to its pace. The workshop will be a little celebration, a wedding of culture and dance, a window to Palestine and Belad Al-Sham!