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Robyn C Friend: Debke is a Lebanese national folk dance, done in a line (I have also seen it done solo; Hassan Hrfouche is amazing!). It ranges from very vigourous to sub-orbital, and has virtually nothing in common with Oriental dance. It is fun to do and great to watch someone do it well.

Tara Tuatai: Debke is performed in the land of Shem: Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. It can be done by men only, women only or mixed. It's done in lines that may break off into formations. Dancers may join hands or put them on their hips with elbows out. The steps involve hopping, skipping, fancy foot work and stomping rhythmically. The leader may twirl a hanky or small scarf. You will see this dance performed by professional troupes at folk festivals and by ordinary people at weddings, parties and nightclubs.

Lois White: "Debke" is a Middle Eastern folk dance. It is a line dance. That is, people hold hands to form a line with the leader at the right end of the line. There is at least one notable exception, which is the Israeli "hora/debka", in which the leader is at the left end of the line so the line moves in the opposite direction. "Debke" can range from very simple (Step-step-step-kick-step-kick) to very complex. It is NOT done in Egypt, but you'll find many variations throughout Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine. It's found in Iraq too, I believe. It is done by both men and women and, depending on local tradition, the lines can be women-only, men-only, or mixed. It is closely related to the Greek Fast Hasapiko (Not Vari Hasapiko), Macedonian Oro, Bulgarian Horo, which are all based on the same Step-step-step-kick-step-kick pattern. Some folk dance specialists call this the generic Mediterranean three-measure dance.

Aziza Sa'id: Tasha Banat says this is sometimes danced with a stick but it's not related to the Tahtib or Cane dances of Egypt (Saidi). She says when a straight olive branch is found (a fairly rare thing, considering how olive trees grow) it is considered good luck. The branch may be cut out of the tree and whittled into a hookless cane of sorts, often with a spiral pattern. This is then carried during the dance and may be waved about or held up for emphasis but isn't really use in the martial fashion the Assaya is in Tahtib... it's just a good luck symbol.

Sometimes this dance is done in single-gender lines, sometimes is is done by both women and men together.

Karol Harding: From a book titled, "Lebanon Land of the Cedars" by Marie Karam Khayat and Margaret Clark Keatinge. Beirut KHAYATS 1967 "...the Lebanese express their joy in life with singing and dancing. Their national dance is the dabbke and their folk songs are the simple tunes of appreciation for the pleasures of their daily lives."

"The dance is always performed in a semi-circle with dancers holding hands. When atching the dabbke for the first time, one is perhaps more conscious of what seems a monotonous repetition of kicks and stamps than of the variations which become apparent with familiarity."

"The rhythm may be a straight march and stamp, or it may come intricately syncopated. The dancers' movements vary from a forward stamp to a simple progressive step, a knee bend endlessly repeated, a combined leap and kick and the beating out of a rhythmic pattern with one foot."

"The mood of the dance is set by the musicians - particularly the flutist or piper palying the NAY -and by the leader, the RAS. The advantage of the flute in the dance is taht the one who plays it can also particiapte in the dancing.. At times his playing seems to put the dancers into a trance where they shuffle and joggle along endlessly without change of pace. At other times he may inflame the performers to leaping, shouts, and early exhaustion."

"The dabbke has traditionally played an important part in village life. the manner in which it is incorporated into the community varies among villages. Some communities emphasize its group significance more than others."

"Leadership of the dance is given to the most talented and experienced dancer of the group, who is aptly called the RAS. He determines the pattern of the dance, swaying at the head of the line waving his white handkerchief in time to the drum's beat. After he has the line of dancers moving along in proper form, he will embellish this background which he has just created with leaps, turns and quick turns in which he is skilled. He may break away from the line and move up and down in it to execute solo steps or challenge the others to individual exhibitions."

This book also has translations for bint Esh Shalabia, Taffeta Hindi, Ala Delona, Ya Ghouszil, and Mushtak Irja'a Ad Daia - along with music and dance steps for debke.

THE STEPS

Midge: One of the Debkes often danced here, especially at our annual Middle Eastern Dance Festival, (in large numbers), is as follows. It can be done fast or slow, depending on the music, either in a line, or a circle, going toward the right, with hands joined palm to palm or held together, down at the hip:

• Starting with the left foot, step to the right, crossing in front of the right foot;
• With the right foot, step to the right;
• Stomp with the left foot, next to or in front of the right foot;
• Step left with left foot;
• Hop on left foot, (both feet actually come off the floor), with right knee bent, crossing right leg in front of left, with toes pointing down;
• Step right with the right foot. Repeat from the top.

In class I teach it by calling out: Step, step, stomp, step, hop, step and write it on the blackboard this way:

Tarik Malik: I've seen guys add a hip quiver layered on hip drops in the middle of a Debke.

COSTUME

Aziza Sa'id: This is a folk dance so the costume is not really a costume, just what the local folks wear... this may be semi-western as in slacks and shirts or galabeya and the traditional head coverings.

MUSIC

Aziza Sa'id: The Black Tents CD by Caracalla has some old style traditional 6-beat Debke music. A Lebanese friend of mine danced with the national Lebanese folkloric troupe when he was younger - his uncle is the director and a reeeealy well known Lebanese composer (Zaki Nasif - see Caracalla / Black Tents for some of his work). Rabih tells me that Lebanese debke used to be mostly written as 6-beat music, and danced as a 6-beat sequence, but most modern debkes are written in 8-beat, and nontheless, danced in 6-beat patterns. Because a lot of these modern pieces have rather square, even rhythms, it's not difficult to do.

Jamilah: Habibi Aini by Maya Yazbek (Lebanese, you will need someone who can read Arabic). The whole CD is debke and some of up to 8-9 minutes in modern authentic style.

VIDEO

Aziza Sa'id: As for videos, I believe Saut Wa Soora and Pe-Ko both have videos that feature Debke dances from a variety of countries.

IsmiSaraji: A film which features part of a dubke scene is the Palestinian film Wedding at Galilee, which you may find at Blockbuster in the Foreign section.

Shanna: On Ibrahim "Bobby" Farrah's Rare Glimpses tape... The whole tape is great. It includes Nadia Gamal, Fatima from way back in 1890, real Guedra (with a silly 1950's uninformed dialog that introduces it), theatrical Guedra, a Lebanese family whose daughters perform..including a balancing dance... plus "Mama" of the same family... who does the most amazing slow barrel turns... and debke with both the ladies of the family and the husband and wife.