By Sofia Abdelrahim

On February 20, Arabic teacher Manar Mayalah and the students of the Arabic program hosted a showcase honoring Middle Eastern heritage. The performance highlighted unity, appreciation, and tradition while giving students the opportunity to celebrate and share their culture with the school community.. 

For students who have participated in past showcases, the experience can be especially meaningful. It brings people together and allows students to express parts of their culture that might otherwise go unrepresented. In a society that often feels divided and lacking in community, events like this can have a lasting impact  by reminding people how important cultural connection and community are.

The showcase featured a variety of performances, including music, cultural dances, instrumental pieces, poetry, and more. Many traditions presented have been passed down through generations, allowing audience members to feel both a sense of representation and  relatability. 

“Being able to showcase our Middle Eastern culture to a large audience was really rewarding and brought a lot of happiness to students and families,” junior Katia Bunny said. 

One of the dances featured in the show was “dabke,” a traditional Levantine dance that involves dancers holding hands and doing a series of jumps, skips, spinning, and more.  The word Dabke translates to “stomping of the feet” and originates from countries such as Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, and Syria. Historically, the dance developed from a village practice where people would hold hands and stomp on mud roofs to help pack them down and keep them strong.

Today, dabke traditions vary across Levantine cultures and are commonly performed at celebrations like weddings or festivals. 

 “My personal favorite performance was a dabke, ‘Jeno Neto,’ a song famous among Arab youth,” Bunny said. “The performance was super fun and it brought excitement to the crowd.” 

For students considering attending next year’s show or participating in the next showcase, Bunny strongly encourages it.

 “I would tell them that the Arabic show is an amazing experience that brings you close to the culture and allows you to learn more about it,” Bunny said. “The overall experience with friends and classmates is so fun and I would highly recommend participating in it!”