A Celebration of Heritage Through Dance
A Charlotte-based dance group, rooted in Palestinian tradition, is inviting the community to experience the art of Dabke — a centuries-old stomping, synchronized folk dance — at its seventh annual showcase this Saturday at UNC Charlotte’s McKnight Hall. The event promises to be a vibrant celebration of culture and community.
Firkat El Watan, which teaches Palestinian folkloric dance to roughly 60 students from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, will take the stage on May 2. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the performance beginning promptly at 7 p.m. Admission is free, making it accessible to all who wish to attend.
Dabke, which traces its origins to the Levantine region of the Middle East, is a traditional group dance built around rhythmic foot stomping and hand-holding. It is typically performed at weddings, festivals, and community celebrations. Each Levantine country has its own regional variation of the form, making Dabke a rich and diverse expression of cultural identity.
Hanan El-Ali founded Firkat El Watan more than a decade ago, driven by a desire to give her daughter, Laila, a connection to her heritage while growing up in the United States. “When I did start Firkat El Watan, the whole idea was to be able to give her the best of both worlds,” Hanan El-Ali said. “She was raised here, born in the states, and she has Palestinian culture as well and identity, so I wanted her to experience the best of both worlds and make friends and to have a community.”
What began as a personal mission has grown into a full community program. The group now teaches children from a broad range of backgrounds — including Syrian, Jordanian, Lebanese, Egyptian, Mexican, and Pakistani families — with the aim of building confidence and preserving culture.
Laila El-Ali, who now co-leads the group alongside her mother, said the mission of Dabke runs deeper than dance. “Its main purpose is to instill confidence, create community, and to preserve a very, very rich culture and heritage that we see in our school systems and within other platforms being erased,” Laila El-Ali said. “It’s a nice way to bring children together, to bring community together, to teach heritage and history, but also form a sense of community.”
The annual showcase has become a cornerstone event for Charlotte’s Palestinian community, with the hall reaching full capacity each year. Organizers say they are already considering moving to a larger venue for next year’s event.
Beyond the performance itself, the evening features approximately 20 vendors, including local organizations and Palestinian artisans selling handmade goods and artwork. For non-Arabic speaking attendees, the program includes song translations so audiences can understand the meaning behind each number performed.
Laila El-Ali emphasized that the folkloric approach the group takes is intentional — choosing songs and movements that tell generational stories rather than simply mimicking modern, high-energy styles. “The folkloric piece is one that we’ve tried to focus on and tried to teach also outside of dance — it tells a story,” Laila El-Ali said. “The songs that are sung have been sung for generations, even the generations that came before my mom, so being able to teach that and to pass that on, I can confidently say that I know our kids will be able to pass those on as well.”
Hanan El-Ali said the response from the children themselves makes the work worthwhile. “We get a lot of positive feedback, especially from the kids themselves — it really builds confidence, it gives a lot of knowledge to them, and they’re just so excited,” she said. “After each event they come up and they hug us and they kiss us and they thank us, and they just really love it. I think that’s what it comes down to — it’s the kids.”
The event is open to all, and organizers are encouraging attendees to arrive early given the event’s history of selling out. Firkat El Watan also offers community workshops and open dance practices throughout the year for anyone interested in learning more.
