“DABKE” – An Interactive Solo Piece
Where culture, movement, and audience meet.
“DABKE” is a one-hour, interactive solo performance by queer Arab American choreographer and visual artist Fadi Joseph Khoury, celebrating the rich and unapologetic expression of Middle Eastern and Arab heritage through traditional dance, music, and storytelling. Deeply rooted in Fadi’s personal immigrant journey and formative dance training in Lebanon and Iraq, this work embraces the beauty and power of folkloric traditions—particularly Dabke, a social and celebratory line dance shared across the Levant. The audience will have the opportunity to learn Dabke and participate with Fadi on the dance floor.
Tour-ready. Inclusive. Unforgettable.
An invitation to move together.
Concept and Artistic Vision:
“DABKE” is a bold act of cultural reclamation and celebration. It aims to present Middle Eastern dance in its raw, vibrant, and unfiltered form, free from Western aesthetic constraints or the fear of being “othered.” In a society that often asks artists to dilute or disguise their roots for broader appeal, this work stands as an affirmation of identity, pride, and peace.
Fadi’s multidisciplinary approach—blending movement, visual art, and community engagement—is at the core of the experience. While future iterations will include live DJ collaboration, the current version is driven by a dynamic curated soundtrack that supports the flow and energy of the show.
Why Now:
As a queer artist of Middle Eastern descent, Fadi sees “DABKE” as a timely act of resistance and healing. At a moment when cultural polarization is high and representation still lacks nuance, this piece offers an open invitation to witness, learn, and celebrate. It challenges audiences to embrace authenticity and invites them to move together in rhythm, breaking down boundaries through shared experience.
Touring Information:
This production is available for touring in performance spaces, cultural centers, museums, universities, and festivals. It requires minimal technical setup (playback system, video projector and floor space), and the interactive nature makes it ideal for audience engagement programming and educational outreach.
Conclusion:
“DABKE” is more than a solo—it’s a cultural offering, a dance of remembrance, and a call to joyful unity. Through this work, Fadi J. Khoury brings audiences into direct contact with the heart of Middle Eastern heritage and the universal desire to be seen, heard, and embraced for who we truly are.
Thank you for celebrating with us a milestone performance and a special program with a message of peace and humanity.
Your support means the world to us!
Fadi Joseph Khoury’s Artistic Statement:
A queer Arab American choreographer and visual artist; Fadi Joseph Khoury’s vision in dance reflects his immigrant journey and his belief in the power of the performing arts and its ability to bring people together despite their differences.
As an artistic director his creative process is anchored in peace building, exploring man-made boundaries, and challenging cultural stereotypes. With his signature blend of choreography and live painting, Fadi uses lines and colors on expansive backdrops and large-scale installations to tell human stories that explore his ongoing relationship between movement and visual art. The technical aspects of his choreography are influenced by years of studying an eclectic variety of dance traditions. In his early years, Fadi was introduced to dance through traditional Arabic Folklore, he then went on to study ballet and ballroom dance at a professional level; later, when he immigrated to America as a refugee he was given a scholarship to study at the Alvin Ailey school of contemporary dance. As a lifelong dancer and mover, Fadi incorporates and blends each of these dance techniques to create his own unique style of movement. His motivation to create is fueled by the human connections the stage can foster and the cultural bridges we can cross if we trust the body and allow it to remind us of our humanity.
Creating art and performance is a skill that symbolizes a personal healing mechanism which inspires him to share and help make a difference in the community. To this end, Fadi is sensitive to the great impact of his art form on mental health and is actively involved at Kings County Hospital (Brooklyn, NY) through the FJK Dance Artist-in-Residence volunteer program. His work is in partnership with the Behavioral Health Services, Wellness and Recovery Division. Site-specific dance and visual art installations in public areas on the hospital campus provide great opportunity for a unique perspective which inspires his cross-cultural dialogue in productions and utilizes the concept of a performance built from the community to the stage.