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Dabke is a traditional wedding dance that originates from the Levant, a region containing the Arab countries Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine. "Dabke," pronounced deb-key or deb-ka, is an Arabic word meaning "to stomp." As you can guess by its name, this dance is a series of energetic stomps and kicks, and it is performed in a line while holding others' hands or shoulders.
Dating back thousands of years, dabke carries great cultural significance—especially for Palestine, as it is an important symbol of Palestinian resistance. It represents unity and shared struggle (hence why the dance is performed in a packed line with hands linked).
Although dabke is specific to Levantine culture, ANYONE can learn it and participate in the dabke line! We are all humans with unique stories and struggles, and dabke is an amazing way to come together admist our differences to focus on the things we share. So who can dabke? YOU can dabke!
“But I don't know how!”
“It looks hard!”
“I'm not a dancer!”
If you can kick and stomp, you can dabke!
Bull's Dabke is a USF club dedicated to appreciating, learning, and performing dabke—and it's open to EVERYONE!
Come learn and perform this fun, energetic dance while appreciating a rich culture and partaking in powerful unity!
Photo by Mashni Photography
We meet once or twice per week, practice length being an hour or more (depending on how we're feeling!). For performance preparation, practice frequency and length will increase based on how long we have to prepare. However, as stated above, performing is NOT required if you are uncomfortable!