Who among us doesn’t have memories of dancing Dabke to a Lebanese song, like there is no tomorrow? Whether we happen to be in a wedding, at a party, or literally anywhere socially convenient to shake it, we cannot wait to hit the floor, hold hands with people we might not even know, and proudly show up our skills. Moving those feet and hips in perfect sync makes it seem as if we’ve been practicing for ages! Dabke lovers, brace yourselves: Did you know that we have a national Dabke day?
Yes, you heard me right! This is a whole day dedicated to our beloved Dabke! Under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture, Jabalna Association aims to establish a National Dabke Day to be held every year, on the first Sunday of September. 2018 was a huge success with 12,000 visitors; this number is expected to rise in 2019.
Jabalna invites everyone to join the only event dedicated to the Lebanese Dabke, on September 1st, 2019. Promising the guests to spend a joyful day of dancing and fun in Maasser El-Chouf, one of the prettiest villages in Lebanon, Jabalna offers a variety of experiences and suggests a multitude of ways to enjoy that day.
For those who don’t know how to dance Dabke, you can finally learn it during that occasion. Even kids will have that opportunity, in the Kids’ Village, which makes it a perfect family day! You can watch the Lebanese dancers performing Dabke shows inspired by many regions around Lebanon. Armenian dancers will also be presenting Georgian, Russian and Armenian shows!
You can encourage your favorite Dabke dancers during the competition “’ala Dal’ouna.” Live bands will be performing throughout the day, and for the closing ceremony.
You can enjoy the local mountain cuisine prepared by selected women cooks from the surrounding villages. Speaking of, you can also buy the homemade “Mouneh” (food provision), all done with natural products!
You can browse through the fair to see the works of the artisans of the region. On top of being a public invitation, the visitors can take advantage of free shuttles to visit the Maaser El-Chouf Cedar Forest.
To avoid traffic and pollution, Jabalna organizes transportation from Starco and Damour to Maasser El-Chouf and back, every hour. Note that Maaser El-Chouf village has been recognized having 0% pollution by the UNESCO!
The Dabke dance is part of our culture, and our role is to preserve our national heritage and to assure its transmission to the next generations. Our eyes are on the year 2020, the big target: to establish the Dabke International Day, reaching all the diaspora.
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