Badke(remix)

A remix is an edited version of an existing song. Badke(remix) is a remake of the dance performance with 10 Palestinian dancers that toured worldwide between 2013 and 2016, created by Koen Augustijnen, Rosalba Torres and Hildegard De Vuyst. The reissue of Badke is now artistically in Palestinian hands, namely Amir Sabra and Ata Khatab, and becomes Badke(remix).  

The title is a conscious reversal of dabke, the name of the Palestinian folk dance and the starting point of the performance. With backgrounds in traditional dabke, contemporary dance, hip-hop, capoeira or circus, the Palestinian performers bring a contemporary version of this dance that is traditionally reserved for (wedding) parties. Badke(remix) displays a zest for life and passion for dancing as a form of resistance.  

In Badke(remix), a contemporary version of the vernacular, non-academic variety is chosen, an explosion of joy, a lively physical expression that speaks of connection, an affirmation of belonging somewhere. Throughout the festive surface of Badke(remix), that other reality permeates, like cold gusts of wind through the chinks of a poorly insulated house. But in the end, the thought still prevails: we’re not going to let anyone tell us what to do. We will dance until we drop.