Recognized by the New York Times as one of the top ten dance favorites of 2013, Dabke (2012) is based on a Middle-Eastern folk dance, a line dance often performed at weddings, holidays, and community celebrations. The dance strongly references solidarity, and traditionally only men participated. The dancers, linked by hands or shoulders, stomp the ground with complex rhythms, emphasizing their connection to the land. Artistic Director Zvi Gotheiner grew up on a kibbutz in Israel where Friday nights were folk dance nights. One of the most beloved of these dances was a Debka, an Israeli rendition of the Arab Dabke.