Salma Al Shawa

Palestine/ Gaza

Have you ever heard about Palestinian DABKE?
Like all cultures and people have dances, we in Palestine have a dance called Dabke, and I would like to tell you about it.
I am Salma Al Shawa from Gaza. I am 18 years old. I have learned Dabke since childhood in kindergarten. Later, I studied the basis at the age of eight at the Palestine Tomorrow Association.
Before the Nakba, the Dabke was limited to weddings, but with time, institutions organised and practiced the Dabke as one of the activities to maintain the Palestinian identity. Due to this, the Dabke has become a targeted art, and many dance groups were subjected to prevention or arrests. We must preserve it generation after generation. Even at times of fights between regions, because each region boasted a special type of Dabke. It is part of our identity.
I participated in many festivals and the hobby became a dream that came true with the passing of days. Dabkeh is a basic legacy of the Palestinian people from our heritage, so we must preserve it and adhere to it.
Before the Nakba, the Dabke was limited to weddings, but with time, institutions organized and practiced the Dabke as one of the activities to maintain the Palestinian identity. Due to this, the Dabke has become a targeted art, and many dance groups were subjected to prevention or arrests. We must preserve it generation after generation. Even at times of fights between regions, because each region boasted a special type of Dabke. It is part of our identity.