DEBKI BA'ALBAKIA Lebanese
PRONUNCIATION:	DEB-kih BAH-ahl-bak-KEE-hah
TRANSLATION:	From Ba'albek
SOURCE:	Samira Tamer, of the AMAN Folk Ensemble (aka, AMAN International Music and Dance Company) of Los Angeles, California, learned the dance in Lebanon during a research trip in 1963.
BACKGROUND:	The debki is the national dance of Lebanon and has been well preserved, not only in Lebanon but also by those Lebanese who have emigrated to Africa and the "New World." The debki (also dabki and dabkeh) is danced throughout Lebanon with many variations.
MUSIC:	Festival Records (45rpm) FR-4113 "Baalbek Debky Medley" Arab Tunes (45rpm) SAC 102-B "Dabkeh" or any suitable dabka tune.
FORMATION:	Open cir or lines of mixed M and W, hands clasped, R hand with palm fwd, R shldr slightly behind the shldr of the dancer to the R, elbows held tightly to sides.
METER/RHYTHM:	4/4
STEPS/STYLE:	The leader often improvises intricate steps in which he or she moves apart from the line with hands joined up at shldr level while the remainder of the line continues in the original formation pos. Leaders may change often, with each leader taking pleasure in his or her own improvisations. Steps are small and "tight."
MEAS	MOVEMENT DESCRIPTION
	INTRODUCTION
	Because the dance phrases and musical phrases overlap, the leader may start the dance with any phrase.
	THE DANCE
1	Facing slightly R, step L just in front of R bending both knees slightly (ct 1); small step R swd, straightening knees (ct 2); step L just in front of R, bending both knees slightly (ct 3); small step R swd, straightening knees (ct 4);
2	Low hop R in place, with ball of L remaining on floor and lifting L knee with slight circular motion up and back twd R knee (ct 1); light stamp L next to R without wt (ct 2)...
	Repeat entire dance from beg.
	The dance is completed twice every three meas.
Copyright © 2007 by Dick Oakes