To all people who want to learn Dabke,Have you ever wondered what may be holding you back from learning and being great at Dabke? From being confident and joining in the fun at weddings and parties? Are you ready to let loose and really enjoy yourself? Are you ready to learn Dabke that connects you with your culture, your friends and your family? Are you ready to learn Dabke that will get you attention from a potential husband or wife? Maybe the attention of a group of guys or girls?
If so, then you have come to the right place…
My name is Samir Hasan, and with the help of my student Youssef, I am here to help you! Here is the thing…Training dozens of people to do Dabke and personally performing in hundreds of shows has given me a rare insight into how to perform and teach Dabke moves from many countries including Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and the Gulf. I’m about to share with you some common errors along with my collection of Dabke moves I’ve called “Dabke101″ which I think are necessary for people to know if you are attending any Arab Wedding or Party. LET ME TEACH YOU HOW TO DABKE! On this very page you are reading at this very moment, I’m going to reveal to you the most efficient teaching methods for quickly learning Dabke while training in your own home at your own pace!
WARNING: There are no pills or potions and this will take some hard work, so if you’re looking for a magic-fix then you’ve landed on the wrong site. But if you are looking to have great fun, learn all sorts of Dabke steps, moves and routines from someone who has spent 15+ years in the industry then you’ve come to the right place.
The Problem: Limited Time + Lack of Teachers
Let’s face it, like most other people you’ve looked around on the Internet, you’ve looked for clubs to join, you’ve looked for books and you might have even tried to YouTube it…There is nothing worth while out there. If you’re lucky enough to find a teacher you have to make time to travel to their studio or pay lots of money for each session. If you tried to form a group you deal with people not taking it seriously and missing classes. If you’re really lucky and you find a group, they’re usually too advanced and you stand there with a puzzled look on your face trying to keep up! Waste of time and STRESS!Let me ask you this…
If you did find some videos on the Internet, who would you rather learn from? An average guy who knows a few moves or a teacher who has done Dabke in front of International leaders and has taught countless numbers of people?!
If you said “the teacher”, you’ve nailed it!
Let’s say you got really lucky and you found a skilled Dabke dancer by chance. If they don’t know how to teach you properly then you’ll both just waste your own time. They also wont have any type of planned step by step structure that slowly teaches you and improves your Dabke skills even if you’ve never danced Dabke before…ever!
The Truth: There is Nowhere to Learn Dabke
The truth is that most of the great routines you find online and see at weddings take time and are taught personally from one person to another. People don’t have tie time to learn or even teach these days especially if you’ve got a job, school or family to manage like the rest of us.Reality is your only chance to learn Dabke is a few hours every once in a while when you go to a wedding. Here is what normally happens at weddings: You get intimidated and go to the end of the line where people are doing the same old two step move. You stay there and watch in awe as the guys at the front of the line jump around in laughter and fun. You wish you were able to join in. You should be at the front of the line! Imagine how proud your family and friends would be of you! Imagine all the attention you will get from your friends and even the opposite sex! Imagine the confidence! Imagine the fun…imagine! Join me and turn your dream, your imagination into reality.
The Solution: Learning Directly From a Teacher on Your Own Time
Let me ask you another couple of questions…- Are you the go-to coach for Dabke in your City?
- Have you trained dozens of dancers for shows all the way to dancing for the President of France?
- Have you spent all of your spare time over the last 10+ years researching, attending workshops, dancing in shows and teaching people Dabke?
I have
And when you put that kind of dedication – that kind of passion – into developing and testing your moves, routines and teaching methods, you truly gain an incredible understanding of what is needed for people to learn Dabke and maybe more importantly, what must be left out, saving your time, energy and money.
Samir’s
Dabke teaching techniques have been tested, tweaked and proven at
countless weddings, festivals and 100′s of shows (still counting) from
over 8 countries around the world.
Here is a sample of three popular mistakes
people make when doing Dabke. (These and many more are covered in
Detail in my program)
Mistake #1 - Doing the wrong type of Dabke
- It’s a Lebanese wedding and people are doing Palestinian moves because they don’t know the difference
- Everyone is doing one version of a move, and you’re doing something totally different.
Mistake #2 - Timing is everything.
Timing is everything in Dabke. If you don’t know how to time your steps properly you will stick out, period! That and you will be sent to the back of the line with the little kids and 90 year-old’s.
Mistake #3 - Posture and body positioning
The beauty of Dabke is uniformity. Can you lead a line? Do you know how to hold your shoulders up? People make all sorts of mistakes because they simply dont know the moves.
Let’s keep our Dabke beautiful like our people!
Comments from Samir’s students
“Samir is a phenomenal Dabke instructor”
“Samir is a phenomenal Dabke instructor. His strategic way of teaching and his talented abilities are what put him above every other instructor. With his assistance I am now confident in performing Dabke and being proud of representing my culture in such a talented and beautiful way. I highly recommend him! If you truely want to learn the REAL art of middle eastern Dabke, then look nowhere else. You have come to the right person and I promise you will not be disappointed” Mona“…Samir is the instructor you need.”
“Samir Hasan, one of the few and rare men who still keeps the true Palestinian heritage and culture running through his teachings to pure traditional Dabke dance that has become extinct in today’s life. Samir is very motivational and patient when practicing difficult moves and does not move forward until every member perfects the move. If you feel like learning the true Dabke dance, then Samir is the instructor you need. You will definitely sweat and get soar, are you ready?” Amer Khanfar” …I consider myself to be intermediate and I’m confident enough to lead the ladies at weddings now.”
“Before Samir taught me Dabke, I didn’t know anything. I searched everywhere for some material on how to learn Dabke until I was lucky enough to find him. After only several lessons I consider myself to be intermediate and I’m confident enough to lead the ladies at weddings now. Samir is a professional and experienced instructor who will provide you with the best of the best teaching methods.” Ruaa H” I really enjoy Dabkah now…”
“When I first heard about learning Dabkah, I didn’t take it too serious, at the same time I really wanted to join, because it’s a traditional dance that I should know by now. When I first started, I didn’t know anything about it, until I met Samir Hasan, our coach, and a group of amazing people that made me commit to Dabkah. We started practicing twice a week, putting good effort, and yes we improved a lot, we still need more practices but skills have improved a lot since we started. I really enjoy Dabkah now, and all this because we have a great passionate instructor who wants to give out everything he has and everything he knows, as a member of this great Dabkah team I highly recommend Samir Hasan to anyone that would like to know/learn Dabkah. Such a great person to meet and learn from.” Malek Kafaween“…anyone with no background about Dabke can learn from you”
“I only went for a couple of times and yet I learned the basics so I’d say you are an amazing instructor. What helped me the most to learn quickly was practicing 1 on 1 with you. I think anyone with no background about Dabke can learn from you. Greatest instructor I’ve ever known!” Anas Hasan“…a professional Dabke teacher who knows how to take his students from a beginner level to professional level.”
“My experience with Samir’s Dabke classes was great. He is a professional Dabke teacher who knows how to take his students from a beginner level to professional level. His Dabke style is both traditional and authentic, and he knows the difference between all other Dabke styles… Syrian, Lebanese..etc. I highly recommend him as a Dabke instructor.” Mohammad Abu-Jarad
Still not convinced Samir will teach you amazing Dabke? Perhaps you’d like to have a quick read through his bio:
- More than 100 Dabke performances and shows locally and internationally
- Several multicultural and folklore festivals in many countries including Canada, France, Britain, Norway, Palestine and Jordan
- Performed in front of thousands of attendees
- Repeatedly represented Palestine on the international stage
- Performed for French President Jacques Chirac in Paris, France
- Performed for the President of the Palestinian Authorities, Yasir Arafat, minister of foreign affairs and minister of youth at the International day for women
- Performed at the year 2000 celebration at the Nativity Church in Bethlehem, Palestine
- Assisted and lead Dabke choreography for performances since 1999
- Coached and trained Dabke students since 2001
- Founder, president, and trainer of Al-Awda Dabke group established in July 2012
Several awards obtained from many countries and organizations including:
- Best Performance, Dedication and Contribution Awards – Britain
- Best Performance, Dedication and Contribution Awards – Norway
- Multicultural Society Awards – Palestine
- International Folklore Award for Outstanding Performance – France
Samir leading Al-Awda Dabke team
