What is the Palestinian traditional dance ?
Dabke (also spelled Dabka, Dubki, Dabkeh, plural Dabkaat) is a native Levantine folk dance. Most popular in Palestine. Dabke combines circle dance and line dancing and is widely performed at weddings and other joyous occasions. The line forms from right to left and the leader of the dabke heads the line, alternating between facing the audience and the other dancers. 1
Palestinian embroidery depicting the traditional Palestinian dance: Dabke.
Palestinian wedding party,1930.
Dabke is derived from the Levantine Arabic word dabaka (Arabic: دبكة) meaning "stamping of the feet" or "to make a noise". 1 2
Palestinians dancing in the city of Nablus.
It may have developed from Canaanite fertility rites wherein communities joined in the energetic foot stomping dance to scare away malicious spirits, clearing the way for healthy and secure growth of their seedlings. 3
One popular legend suggests that the dabke originated in the Levant region during the time of the Pharaohs. According to the legend, the Pharaoh ordered the construction of a palace, and workers from different regions of the Levant were called upon to build it. To keep their spirits up during the arduous work, the workers would form a line and dance, kicking up the dust and soil as they moved. This dance became known as the dabke, which means "stomping the ground" in Arabic.
There are numerous kinds of songs that are sung during and specifically for dabke, by both men and women respectively, depending on the occasion, song, and audience. Some of the most popular of these songs, such as Dal Ouna, Al Jafra, Al Dahiyya, and Zareef il-Tool, are actually entire genres in themselves, in the sense that lyrics can vary significantly in each performance but the basic rhythm of the music is consistent and recognizable. This variation can be seen in the hundreds of Palestinian lyrical variations heard and recorded of these songs which regardless of specific lyrics, are recognized by their rhythm and at times, a single phrase, as in Ala Dal Ouna, Jafra, and others. For example, even though one might have heard Ala Dal Ouna sung previously telling a different story in this famous love song, people will still call another song ascribing to the same rhythm and theme as Dal Ouna.
Palestinian men dancing and playing the flute.
Famous Palestinian singer Mohammad Assaf dancing dabke.
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