Percussion is the heartbeat of Levantine dance. Instruments like the tabl (bass drum) derbakke/darbuka (goblet drum) and riq (frame drum/tambourine) inspire the dancers’ movements and spark excited & passionate outcries. In Dabke, drum calls and rhythmic accents cue jumps, stomps, and turns; in belly dance, they accent shimmies, locks, and fluid phrasing. Together—drums, Dabke, and belly dance—create a conversation of power and resistance, community and individuality, tradition and improvisation.