Malikat al Dabke: The all women troupe keeping Dabke alive in America

What began as a dabke workshop, open to dancers of all skill levels, has become Washington D.C.’s first all-women dabke troupe both a form of artistic expression and a cultural anchor for the five Arab-American women who make up Malikat al Dabke. 

Lebanese sisters Mae and Sonia Abdulbaki, originally from Chouf, were among many participants in the dabke workshop before they became members of the troupe when it was founded in January, 2023.

Shared experience dancing with university teams drew the five women towards one another. The space, Sonia said, organically evolved into a collaborative, professional dance troupe.

“We had choreographed dabke together in college and wanted to start a team,” Sonia said, speaking of her sister. “It felt like a dream come true.”

Three years later, Malikat al Dabke now hosts dabke classes and workshops and has performed across the United States, including at the Kennedy Center, the New York Arab Festival, and several embassies. These opportunities did not come easily. 

The women each balance a full time job while managing the dance troupe. Mae, a film critic, freelances while coordinating Malikat al Dabke’s events and managing financial matters, among other responsibilities. Sonia, a user experience designer, has taken her skills and applied them to Malikat al Dabke, acting as the social media manager and website developer. 

“It’s hard to split ourselves up,” Sonia said. Yet there are advantages to self-management.

“We have full autonomy over our decisions and can navigate the direction we take toward achieving our goals and creative vision as a group,” Mae said. 

“We don’t do it full time yet, but that would be a dream,” Mae continued. “We love dabke, we love each other, and I think that translates into our performances.”

We learn from each other’s strengths

Each member’s decade of experience and passion for the dance shines through when they perform, hand in hand and smiling brightly. Malikat al Dabke’s collaborative spirit is evident. 

“We all take part in choreographing dances. We learn from each other’s strengths,” Sonia said. 

The troupe blends traditional dabke styles Lebanese shamaliyya, Palestinian mish’al, and Iraqi chobi with each other and with newer, more modern variations, representing the varied backgrounds of the troupe’s members. 

“When a lot of people think of dabke, they think of the very basic shamaliyya dabke,” Mae said. “But when you break it down, there are so many variations of dabke to learn, and that’s what makes it fun. The creativity doesn’t stop.”

The varying dabke styles are reflected in the troupe’s costumes. The women don traditional Palestinian tatreez robes, vests purchased from Jordan, and shimmery green Lebanese-style gowns. Most important are their black leather boots, the foundation of every costume.

“I have a dream of sketching out designs we really want and finding a designer who can make them,” Mae said. This dream stems from the reality that it is difficult to source traditional costumes in the United States, and the garments the troupe find are often too thick and stiff to comfortably dance in. 

While costumes pose an obstacle to the troupe’s performances, the dancers’ inevitable injuries are more challenging. 

“We’ve all fallen in practice and have been injured around rehearsals or shows, but we have ankle braces, a lot of ice, compressors, and adrenaline.” Mae said. “Nobody has ever stopped performing because of an injury. The show must go on.”

Women have always done dabke

While the women stay connected to their roots through dabke, the context of where they are living and performing is not lost on them. Often, the troupe has to navigate performing in front of crowds who have never seen dabke live before and some who lack an understanding of women’s historical role in the tradition. 

“There’s always the random person who will ask a very sexist question,” Mae said. “But usually non-Arab communities are very enthusiastic and want to learn more. They are intrigued by dabke’s origin stories and the dance itself because they have never seen it before.

When asked if women belong in dabke, Mae answers, “Women have always done dabke. We have always been part of tradition.” She refers to Lebanese plays and movies of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, which often feature mixed gender dabke troupes. 

It was a woman, Mae’s own mother, who taught her dabke when she was only six years old. 

“She turned on some Arabic music, grabbed my hand, and started dancing,” Mae said. “It’s my first memory of dabke and the music in particular is what has kept me so connected to Lebanon.”

Performing as Arab-American women existing between two worlds is also central to Malikat al Dabke’s identity. 

“I feel proud and honored to carry our heritage through my body and to showcase that nationally,” Sonia said. “The US is disconnected from the Arab world and all that we are, aside from what is on the news. Dabke is a great way to connect people and allow them to experience our culture through dance.”

Yalla Nedbok 

“It’s about time we had a dabke competition!” Mae said. 

“What took us so long?!” Sonia added. “I’m so happy it exists.”

The sisters agreed that it has been exciting to see Lebanese dabke troupes brought together through MTV’s Yalla Nedbok to showcase dabke’s many variations. They feel the show is working not only to entertain people globally, but also to expose the essence of what it means to be Lebanese. 

“I want Lebanon to keep publicizing our roots and fighting against colonization and the dissipation of our national identity and heritage,” Sonia said. “Dabke is a tradition that’s deeply related to unity. It is a communal dance in every aspect its history, its circular formations, the holding of hands.”

“Its important to continue to see that living culture. They each dabke differently but keep the same spirit” Mae continued. “I have hope that we’ll be on the show in the future.”

Aspiring to perform in the Middle East, Malikat al Dabke will continue to perform and teach dabke, working tirelessly to preserve Lebanon’s customs abroad. 

“Lebanon has been through a lot and its people have been through a lot,” Sonia said. “It’s important for Lebanese everywhere to continue resisting and being who they are while keeping our culture and dabke alive.”

In the diaspora, it is easy to allow heritage to fade to choose to assimilate. This is particularly true in the United States, where Lebanon and the Lebanese culture is often misunderstood. However, Malikat al Dabke, inspired by others and inspiring others, refuses to undermine their roots. By studying, teaching, and performing dabke, they embody all it means to reimagine and preserve centuries of history while making a name for themselves between two worlds.