Author: Dabke Baalbackieh (‫دبكة بعلبكية‬‎)

  • The Solh Family & the Khataira: Baalbek’s Keepers of Authentic Dabke Tradition

    The Solh Family & the Khataira: Baalbek’s Keepers of Authentic Dabke Tradition

    Introduction: Before the Stage, There Was the Rooftop Long before Dabke was choreographed for grand theaters, it lived on the rooftops of Baalbek. At the heart of this oral and community-based tradition was one family: The Solh family. Known locally as the “Khataira” (the wise elders), they were not only performers — they were the…

  • The Caracalla Legacy: How One Baalbek Family Took Dabke from Village Roofs to Global Stages

    The Caracalla Legacy: How One Baalbek Family Took Dabke from Village Roofs to Global Stages

    Introduction: From Baalbek’s Heart to the World’s Spotlight The Caracalla family — originating from Baalbek, Lebanon — has played a pivotal role in transforming Dabke from a rural, communal dance into a global performance art. Through the vision of Abdel-Halim Caracalla and the theatrical genius of Caracalla Dance Theatre, Dabke became not only a symbol…

  • أبو يحيى | أسطورة الدبكة البعلبكية

    أبو يحيى | أسطورة الدبكة البعلبكية

    أستاذ كلّ من أراد تعلّم الخطوات; لم يكن له منافس قط بالأسلوب أو التعبير الرجولي لخطوات الرقص، هو الجبل الذي حمى التراث للأجيال القادمة. زكريا إسماعيل صلح، ولد وتوفّى في بعلبك، عشق تراثها وتاريخها، وعشقه أهل بعلبك. منذ سنين مراهقته الأولى، عندما كان في السادسة عشر ربيعًا في حي صلح في بعلبك، لفت زكريا صلح…