By Ginny Wang - New University Online - CA, U.S.A.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Every country has an ethnic tradition that makes it unique from every other culture in the world. While the United States tends to emphasize its difference through food and holidays, others choose to outwardly perform their individuality in the form of singing and dancing.
On the night of Nov. 20, UC Irvine’s Barclay Theatre experienced a taste from the Middle East as the world-renowned Whirling Dervish troupe twirled onto the American stage.
As part an age-old Sufi heritage, this performance, called Sema, features dancers and musicians who follow traditional, ritualistic practices of the Sufi people. It is a style of dancing and singing that pays homage to the ancient poet and mystic Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi.
The Sema dance is a sacred Sufi practice of whirling or meditative turning that collaborates with Zikr, a form of sacred chanting, music and poetry.
Believing in the concept of a revolving existence, it takes on the notion that life is all about living within a continuous circle that comprises of revolving neurons, electrons and protons within an atom.
Dancers twirl in counterclockwise motions on stage in order to harmonize their bodies with the environment.
The term Dervish comes from the Persian word “Darwish” and is used as a means to spiritually and consciously participate in the continuum of life.
There are seven parts to a Sema ceremony, each with its own connection to nature and the unconscious.
The ceremony begins with different musical instruments representing particular expressions. The flute represents the Divine breath, while the opening eulogy praises love for the Prophet. Four musical movements, or Selams, follow, each catering to a specific rhythm.
From beginning to end, each Selam testifies to God’s unity.
Dancers are dressed in traditional white Sufi outfits that are attached to a large cloth folded around the waist. As each dancer spins, the edges of the fold puff up to encapsulate each dancer in a circular sphere.
Like their movements, each part of the outfit is planned according to the progression of the ceremony.
They enter the stage with black cloaks and traditional Sema headdresses that represent the ego and the tomb. Once the chanting begins, each dancer removes his outer garment to reveal long white skirts symbolizing a religious shroud. The floor is sprinkled with sand that spreads around the stage as each performer moves in unison.
With each turn the ceremony represents the human’s spiritual journey to perfection (kemal) and every movement brings that person closer to their transcendence over the ego.
For the Dervishes, twirling has a whole different meaning than a typical performance by the American Ballet Company. Twirling represents the human ascent to heaven and serves as a kind of pilgrimage to a holier sense of truth and love.
True to their custom, Sema ceremonies are simple, but without prior knowledge, viewers can easily be confused to the purpose of the practice.
For centuries the Sufi people have carried out their traditions with a cyclone-like force that keeps the words of Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi from being carried away with the wind.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Whirling into Heaven
Monday, November 26, 2007
Every country has an ethnic tradition that makes it unique from every other culture in the world. While the United States tends to emphasize its difference through food and holidays, others choose to outwardly perform their individuality in the form of singing and dancing.
On the night of Nov. 20, UC Irvine’s Barclay Theatre experienced a taste from the Middle East as the world-renowned Whirling Dervish troupe twirled onto the American stage.
As part an age-old Sufi heritage, this performance, called Sema, features dancers and musicians who follow traditional, ritualistic practices of the Sufi people. It is a style of dancing and singing that pays homage to the ancient poet and mystic Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi.
The Sema dance is a sacred Sufi practice of whirling or meditative turning that collaborates with Zikr, a form of sacred chanting, music and poetry.
Believing in the concept of a revolving existence, it takes on the notion that life is all about living within a continuous circle that comprises of revolving neurons, electrons and protons within an atom.
Dancers twirl in counterclockwise motions on stage in order to harmonize their bodies with the environment.
The term Dervish comes from the Persian word “Darwish” and is used as a means to spiritually and consciously participate in the continuum of life.
There are seven parts to a Sema ceremony, each with its own connection to nature and the unconscious.
The ceremony begins with different musical instruments representing particular expressions. The flute represents the Divine breath, while the opening eulogy praises love for the Prophet. Four musical movements, or Selams, follow, each catering to a specific rhythm.
From beginning to end, each Selam testifies to God’s unity.
Dancers are dressed in traditional white Sufi outfits that are attached to a large cloth folded around the waist. As each dancer spins, the edges of the fold puff up to encapsulate each dancer in a circular sphere.
Like their movements, each part of the outfit is planned according to the progression of the ceremony.
They enter the stage with black cloaks and traditional Sema headdresses that represent the ego and the tomb. Once the chanting begins, each dancer removes his outer garment to reveal long white skirts symbolizing a religious shroud. The floor is sprinkled with sand that spreads around the stage as each performer moves in unison.
With each turn the ceremony represents the human’s spiritual journey to perfection (kemal) and every movement brings that person closer to their transcendence over the ego.
For the Dervishes, twirling has a whole different meaning than a typical performance by the American Ballet Company. Twirling represents the human ascent to heaven and serves as a kind of pilgrimage to a holier sense of truth and love.
True to their custom, Sema ceremonies are simple, but without prior knowledge, viewers can easily be confused to the purpose of the practice.
For centuries the Sufi people have carried out their traditions with a cyclone-like force that keeps the words of Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi from being carried away with the wind.
Labels:
events
By Ginny Wang - New University Online - CA, U.S.A.Monday, November 26, 2007
Every country has an ethnic tradition that makes it unique from every other culture in the world. While the United States tends to emphasize its difference through food and holidays, others choose to outwardly perform their individuality in the form of singing and dancing.
On the night of Nov. 20, UC Irvine’s Barclay Theatre experienced a taste from the Middle East as the world-renowned Whirling Dervish troupe twirled onto the American stage.
As part an age-old Sufi heritage, this performance, called Sema, features dancers and musicians who follow traditional, ritualistic practices of the Sufi people. It is a style of dancing and singing that pays homage to the ancient poet and mystic Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi.
The Sema dance is a sacred Sufi practice of whirling or meditative turning that collaborates with Zikr, a form of sacred chanting, music and poetry.
Believing in the concept of a revolving existence, it takes on the notion that life is all about living within a continuous circle that comprises of revolving neurons, electrons and protons within an atom.
Dancers twirl in counterclockwise motions on stage in order to harmonize their bodies with the environment.
The term Dervish comes from the Persian word “Darwish” and is used as a means to spiritually and consciously participate in the continuum of life.
There are seven parts to a Sema ceremony, each with its own connection to nature and the unconscious.
The ceremony begins with different musical instruments representing particular expressions. The flute represents the Divine breath, while the opening eulogy praises love for the Prophet. Four musical movements, or Selams, follow, each catering to a specific rhythm.
From beginning to end, each Selam testifies to God’s unity.
Dancers are dressed in traditional white Sufi outfits that are attached to a large cloth folded around the waist. As each dancer spins, the edges of the fold puff up to encapsulate each dancer in a circular sphere.
Like their movements, each part of the outfit is planned according to the progression of the ceremony.
They enter the stage with black cloaks and traditional Sema headdresses that represent the ego and the tomb. Once the chanting begins, each dancer removes his outer garment to reveal long white skirts symbolizing a religious shroud. The floor is sprinkled with sand that spreads around the stage as each performer moves in unison.
With each turn the ceremony represents the human’s spiritual journey to perfection (kemal) and every movement brings that person closer to their transcendence over the ego.
For the Dervishes, twirling has a whole different meaning than a typical performance by the American Ballet Company. Twirling represents the human ascent to heaven and serves as a kind of pilgrimage to a holier sense of truth and love.
True to their custom, Sema ceremonies are simple, but without prior knowledge, viewers can easily be confused to the purpose of the practice.
For centuries the Sufi people have carried out their traditions with a cyclone-like force that keeps the words of Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi from being carried away with the wind.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment