05/26/2026
Dance was a significant part of our upbringing. On our Lebanese-Palestinian side, our grandmother taught us Arabic dancing & dabke early on. She would play the didibatke drum for us over her favorite Tony Kiwan cd. She would pass out rattles, finger cymbals & tambourines.
I have visceral memories of congregating in a big circle in her & our Jiddo’s living room and on the dance floor at weddings. Also her showing us how to “pick the cherry and put it in the basket” to embody this organic, expressive & uninhibited way to move our bodies. I later learned that dabke has deeply intertwined historical ties to resistance.
Although we had a strict upbringing, this seemed to be the one place where I could fully express and let something divinely feminine & ancestral move thorough me. There was no wrong way to dance this dance as long as I was truly connected to that eternal, ancestral thread within me.
Even though the music is different, I feel this same feeling when we’re dancing together now, in inclusive, safe spaces. There is so much healing in this type of movement & community. There is also a sort of permission in these type of spaces to explore, unravel, witness and be witnessed. To resist.
So much gratitude for a weekend of love & togetherness. For sisterhood. Friendship. Art. Music. Dance moves (esp Rosie). And souls willing to share, hold space & let go.
Catch us this Sunday at for our first Empowered Collective from 9-10am. We’re bringing this energy. RSVP link in bio❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
