Kristel interviews dancer and choreographer Sharaf DarZaid from the Popular Art Centre in Ramallah. They discuss the history and background of dabke dance and the recent Jerusalema dance challenge video.
The Jerusalema Dance Challenge started with the global hit song, Jerusalema, by Master KG and Nomcebo Zikode from South Africa. The song and dance went viral and became popular world.
Listen to the podcast to understand more about the importance of dabke and Palestinian cultural heritage.
The Jerusalema Challenge
In November 2020, a Palestinian version of the Jerusalema Dance Challenge was released on social media. The video is a cooperation of five Palestinian dabke groups. The groups could not meet to dance together due to the Israeli restrictions on movement. 130 dancers recorded themselves in Gaza, Jerusalem, Jenin, Ramallah and Bethlehem.
Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine and even though they cannot visit, it will always be in the hearts of Palestinians.
Kristal fell in love with Palestine and its people on her first visit, years ago,
volunteering her time with the olive harvest. She returned several times after, met her husband and moved to Palestine to start a family. Kristal lives in between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, where she feels the reality of the Israeli segregation wall every day.
At the moment, Kristal is studying The Tour Guide Program at Bethlehem Bible College. This has inspired her to further explore the history, people, and heritage of Palestine and has also influenced her to create the podcast “Palestine Stories,” in which she delivers interviews and shares inspiring stories of Palestinians around her.
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