What is Dabke?
Similar to the other Dancing styles, Dabke Baalbackieh relies on the energy and enthusiasm of the dancer, where the steps should reflect the unified spirit of the group. As more questions are asked about the origins of Dabke, the main inquiry remains “What is Dabke?”
The debate on the origin of this oriental dance keeps going, and with no reliable scientific study that explores the anthropology of Dabke, all claims about the Dabke origins remain mere assumptions. Ali Hleyhel claims that the origin of Dabke in this region is the Bedouin warriors’ Dance with swords. He adds that Dabke was originally a tribal group dance in Arabia and was updated with new steps throughout the years. However, the Lebanese musician Zaki Nassif believes that the Dabke has no history, and that it resulted from knocking the legs off the roofs of dirt houses to settle them so that the rain does not leak inside the house during winter. He adds that the Syriac word “dal’ona”, literally meaning the aid, became later on the Dal’ona style in chanting and dancing.
Standing the test of time, the dance gained more popularity after the spread of social media platforms in the last two decades. Baalbacki Dabke, in particular, has six basic styles or types:
Zeno الزينو (Kurdish origin)
Tirawiye الطيراوية
ٍShemaliye or Dal’ona (Northern style) الشمالية
Dabke was an integral part of the character of the Lebanese people, and Baalbackian people in specific, where the environment imposes the style of the dance; you could find in every region or family (clan) its own dances, steps, styles and rituals, according to its geography.
Starting with the Solh family in Baalbeck, where the Master Zakaria Solh (a.k.a. Abou Yehya) and Mohamed Solh (Abou Majid) were considered the Dabke pioneers in Baalbeck, reviving this tradition and spreading the implied cultural message via their performances. “People eagerly waited to watch him (Abou Yehya) perform during wedding.” claims a Baalbackian elderly, “When he danced, he was the master, the teacher who gives lessons in style and performance with every single detail of facial expressions.”
Another Dabke Master is Doukhi Solh, remembered to be the best dancer to ever be born in Bekaa, where “a wedding was not considered a success unless he attends and performs.” He played a major role in training members of the popular dancing groups the authentic Dabke Baalbakieh. His signature was dancing with the hookah, the sword and even with daggers. When he performed in front of the Baalbek Festival Committee Madame Jarrar, one of the organizers admired his skills and talent and asked him to help her train the band. Doukhi accepted immediately and refused to charge any wages in exchange for the training, so he was honored with a free access to all the concerts that take place in Baalbeck. His descendants are also considered the best Dabke performers in Baalbeck and Lebanon nowadays. Karim Solh (Abo Doubki ) أبو دوخي is one of the living proofs of the legacy of his father Doukhi.
Another pioneer in the history of Dabke is Abdel-Halim Caracalla and his brother Omar Caracalla. In contrast to the local dabke troupes that used the authentic Dabke Baalbackieh styles in event performances, Caracalla troupe took the game to a different level. Abdul-Halim Caracalla is considered the Maestro, the mind and the founder of the of Caracalla Theater. Born in Baalbeck 1938, his father is the poet Abbas Caracalla, nicknamed “Cheikh-Al-Shabab”, and his mother Ramzah Hamiyeh from the village of Taraya, known for its Tirawiye Dabke style. His brother is the Dabke master Omar Caracalla.
He was the champion of Lebanon in the pole vault, the 100 and 400 m races, as well as in the high jump. Caracalla studied the dance theater in London and Paris between 1962 and 1966, then he officially established with his brother the Caracalla troupe in 1968, adopting his theatrical ideas from the beauty of Baalbek and from the Bedouin lifestyle, which was obvious in the first performance ‘The Black Tents’. Their role in preserving culture is thus unprecedented!
Younger generations are playing more role in preserving this Art. Many YouTube channels were opened to spread dancing videos, and as young Lebanese and Arabs are getting more excited to learn the authentic dance, many dancing studios are offering the service inside and outside Lebanon. One of the new Dancing schools that opened last year in Badaro Area, Beirut is affiliated with the Dabke Baalbackieh page. “We are proud to have you as part of our team once you decide to learn the Dabke” informed us one of the coaches at the dabke school.
