This event is a way to experience dabke dance more informally, immersing yourself in our cultural identity.

Get your tickets to our DABKE dance social and experience dabke’s expression and joy with community.

The event will also include demonstrations of dabke choreography with Malikat Al Dabke’s performances, as well as our students’ performances, showing off what they’ve learned over the course of 5 weeks.

What is DABKE?

Listed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the folkloric Shami —derived from al Sham, the Levant region that includes the modern day countries of Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan — dance has ancient roots in community. Another version of it in Iraq is called dabcha or chobi. It is performed professionally and informally, all as a way of sharing joy with the community at celebrations such as festivals, weddings and graduations.

Who are Malikat Al Dabke?

Collectively founded in 2023, Malikat Al Dabke (meaning Queens of Dabke in Arabic) is the first all-women’s dabke troupe in the DC, Maryland and Virginia (DMV) area, specializing in performing and teaching Palestinian, Lebanese and Iraqi dabke and the traditions and practices associated with the dance, including zaffe wedding procession with large bass drums.

They create original choreography and aweehas (a vocal tradition), and have incorporated Arabic singing into their more somber performances. They pride themselves on teaching dabke’s history, its cultural significance, its music and styles, constantly learning and growing, and spreading its healing movement across generations and communities to keep their existence and joy alive.