Dance Lab BK :: Palestinian Dabka Dance :: March 7th

Join us on March 7th for Dance Lab in Brooklyn @ Center for the Enlightenment Arts.

The event will begin with a guided embodied class followed by a free-form Ecstatic Dance with a DJ, ending with a closing sound meditation.

All levels of dance and movement are welcome.

Schedule:
7:30PM: Doors Open
8PM: Warmup Class - Traditional Palestinian Dabke Dance with Freedom Dabka Group
9:15: Ecstatic Dance with DJ Omar Aena
10:30: Sound Meditation + Closing Circle
11PM: End

Location:
Center for the Enlightenment Arts
301 Ten Eyck St
Brooklyn, NY

Tickets:
$30 in advance/$35 Day Of
No refunds will be issued.
10% of all proceeds will go to the Manna-hatta fund: a 501c3 registered nonprofit serving the health, social service, and cultural needs of Native Americans residing in New York City.

About Dabke Dance:
Dabke (also spelled as Dabka) is an Arabic folk dance which originated in the mountains of the Levantine region. This region in the Middle East includes the countries of Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Iraq.

Dabke is derived from the Levantine Arabic word dabaka (Arabic: دبكة‎) meaning “stamping of the feet” or “to make a noise”. The Dabke is a communal dance where everyone, regardless of gender, stands in a line holding hands and  combines circle dance and line dancing and is widely performed at weddings and other joyous occasions. Each type of dabke dance has its own corresponding set of songs, the theme of which is often love.

The origins of the dabke dance can be traced back to ancient Canaanite fertility rituals. In those distant days, as the seasons unfolded and the earth awakened, the dance emerged as a way to honor the land, chase away malevolent spirits, and safeguard the tender shoots of new life. It was a dance of reverence, a celebration of nature's abundance, and a prayer for bountiful harvests.

However, under the British Mandate of the 1930s and later with the Nakba in 1948, Palestinian folk music and folk dance were politicized, transforming into tools of cultural resistance. In response to the challenges posed by Israeli occupation and the threat of cultural erasure, dance troupes began to emerge both within and outside of Palestine, dedicated to preserving and promoting the tradition of dabke. These troupes became vital conduits for keeping the dance alive, nurturing a new generation of dancers and spreading awareness of Palestinian culture on a global scale. They served as guardians of the dance's rich heritage, meticulously training and passing down the intricate movements and rhythms, ensuring that the flame of dabke continued to burn brightly.

We look forward to being together. See you on the dance floor.