Punchbowl founder of The Cedars of Lebanon Folkloric Group, Elie Akouri, and his dancers will present the Dabki in all of its glory to mark their 45th anniversary in Australia at the Bryan Brown Theatre in June.
Elie estimates that he has trained more than 625 young dancers since he established the group in 1977 and presently features 12 amazing artists.
“In Lebanon’s rural areas, roofs were traditionally made of mud and twigs,” he said.
“With the change of season from cold to warm, the roof would crack. To fix their homes, villagers would form a line and stomp on the mud.
“This is the origin of the Dabki. The dance is very collaborative, as the villager would yell ‘help’ to neighbours and people would gather and ‘dance’.”
In a lot of places, it is a source of pride to know how to dance the Dabki, as the leg work can get very complex, especially when the rhythm picks up.
“It’s a big part of Lebanese heritage and a really fun dance,” said Elie who is not only dancer and choreographer of the group but also costume, acting and lighting director.
“We have danced all over Australia as well as in Lebanon, Paraguay and Argentina; we have a big fan base here in Bankstown.”
Tickets are free to the show on Saturday, June 11, from 8pm, but bookings essential, email e.akouri@bigpond.com or call 0414 750 013.
Dance history showcase
IT’S no secret that the Lebanese know how to move and in most family gatherings there is plenty of music and dancing but it’s not all pop and rock since Lebanon has its own traditional dance – the Dabki.