Meet the all-female Arab-American dabke troupe preserving and innovating the ancient dance


Jihan Abdalla
  • English
  • Arabic

In a mirrored studio in Washington, Fairuz Foty queues an Arabic song on her mobile phone and quickly leaps to join the other women lined up for their weekly dabke practice.

The dancers, dressed in black and with checkered keffiyehs wrapped around their waists, jump and stomp their feet in unison to the upbeat rhythm of the song.

Ms Foty, 33, is the founder of the all-female Malikat Al Dabke – Arabic for “queens of dabke”, which is a traditional folk dance popular in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Iraq.

They say they are the first all-female dabke troop in the DMV, the acronym for the Washington, Maryland and Virginia region.

Using line and circle dancing and occasionally solos, too, dabke consists of synchronised footwork and the dramatic stomping of feet.

Often the dance is led by a laweeh, who directs the group and twirls beads, a scarf or a sword, before breaking out into an improvised solo.

Few agree on the exact origins of the dance and there is surprisingly little literature documenting the regional and stylistic dabke variations, let alone the names of the different moves.

But despite the mystery surrounding the ancient dance, dabke, which was once a mainstay in rural weddings and celebrations, is gaining popularity thanks to social media and young people who are eager to hang on to their ancestral identity.

Many troupes in the US and elsewhere in the world are all male, and those that are mixed, Ms Foty says, often have men leading the dance and making most of the decisions about the choreography.

“The inspiration was to create a safe space to explore Arabic dance,” Ms Foty, who is Palestinian and Egyptian, tells The National.

In co-ed groups, she adds, she often felt like, despite having the most experience, she was pushed “to the back of the line”.

“Being in an all-female troupe, we all choreograph together and we're all trying to highlight one another,” Ms Foty who is also an opera singer, says.

“There's really no hierarchy.

“And it became a hit because many other Arab American women in particular were feeling a similar sentiment.”

Dabke usually begin with a slower beat and dancers move together. As the music speeds up, the choreography changes, and the dancers form a line or a circle, or spread apart as the footwork gets faster.

So far, Malikat Al Dabke have performed at cultural events, festivals and private parties. They have six dancers in the troupe and are hoping to add more members later in the year.

Sonia Abdulbaki, a member of the group, says unlike belly dancing – the sensual dance that is generally performed by female dancers in the Middle East – dabke feels “masculine” to her.

“Because of all the stomping, it can be militant in terms of the lines, the synchronicity, the marching and having someone at the front leading,” Ms Abdulbaki, 34, who works full time as a user experience designer, tells The National.

“Not that it means only men can do it.

“There's just high energy to it and a lot of stomping which makes me think that it's masculine.”

Ms Abdulbaki, who was born in the US but lived in Lebanon as a child, said being part of the group is deeply meaningful to her, after years of feeling disconnected from her ancestral culture.

“Dabke has always been a passion of mine and I was really excited to join, especially knowing that it was going to be an all women's group,” she says.

Feryal Elorr, another member of the group, has been doing research on the origins of dabke, its diversity and its variations. She is also starting what she says is the long process of categorising the different movements and their names.

The absence of written documentation puts the ancient dance at risk of being appropriated by other dances or cultures, she says, which could erase it.

“I love learning dabke and learning the dance moves, but I'm always thinking about the things around it as well, I'm always thinking about the history, the clothing, the tradition, what it means to us,” Ms Elorr, 33, says.

But equally important to preserving the dance, she says, is embracing that change is an inherent and positive part of life.

“The traditional dabke is beautiful, because it's the origin and where it came from, and then fusion is also beautiful, because it's where we are now,” she tells The National.

“It's showing our identity, who we are right now, and giving us paths to who we want to be, to express who we want to be in the future.”

UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

New Zealand 15 British & Irish Lions 15

New Zealand 15
Tries: Laumape, J Barrett
Conversions: B Barrett
Penalties: B Barrett

British & Irish Lions 15
Penalties: Farrell (4), Daly

Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

'The Batman'

Stars:Robert Pattinson

Director:Matt Reeves

Rating: 5/5

Jurassic%20Park
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Europe’s rearming plan
  • Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
  • Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
  • Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
  • Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
  • Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
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Election pledges on migration

CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections" 

SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom" 

Indoor cricket in a nutshell

Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai

16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side

8 There are eight players per team

There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.

5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls

Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership

Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.

Zones

A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs

B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run

Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs

Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League quarter-final (first-leg score):

Juventus (1) v Ajax (1), Tuesday, 11pm UAE

Match will be shown on BeIN Sports

Biography

Her family: She has four sons, aged 29, 27, 25 and 24 and is a grandmother-of-nine

Favourite book: Flashes of Thought by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid

Favourite drink: Water

Her hobbies: Reading and volunteer work

Favourite music: Classical music

Her motto: I don't wait, I initiate

 

 

 

 

 

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THE SPECS

Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)

Power: 141bhp 

Torque: 250Nm 

Price: Dh64,500

On sale: Now

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Lamsa

Founder: Badr Ward

Launched: 2014

Employees: 60

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: EdTech

Funding to date: $15 million

Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2A)
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Know your Camel lingo

The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home

Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless

Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers

Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s

Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival

Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

The BIO

Favourite piece of music: Verdi’s Requiem. It’s awe-inspiring.

Biggest inspiration: My father, as I grew up in a house where music was constantly played on a wind-up gramophone. I had amazing music teachers in primary and secondary school who inspired me to take my music further. They encouraged me to take up music as a profession and I follow in their footsteps, encouraging others to do the same.

Favourite book: Ian McEwan’s Atonement – the ending alone knocked me for six.

Favourite holiday destination: Italy - music and opera is so much part of the life there. I love it.

ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
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Winners

Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)

Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)

Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)

Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)

Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)

Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)

Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)

Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)

Updated: August 15, 2023, 12:41 PM