Sema Gathering (Sufi Whirling) and Workshops

Learn essential sacred rhythms on percussion with Nariman Assadi and Sufi whirling with Farima Berenji in this combined Sufi sacred music and dance workshop for musicians and dancers. Following the workshop participants will drum and dance in a Sema lead by both masters.

Music makes it possible to bring our awareness to the present and feel united with ourselves and the universe. Music is like a journey from the mind to the heart. Whirling dance originated thousands of years ago with the ancient Persians in the practice of devotion, healing, and meditation. Then as today, music, poetry, and movement unite to help connect the body, mind, and soul in harmony and healing.

Farima will teach the essentials of whirling meditation including preparation, balance and posture, controlling dizziness, self-focus, breathwork, and more. Nariman will illustrate common Sufi drum rhythms for practice with the participants.

Guidelines and Tips

• Dancers please wear comfortable clothing (white or light colored if possible) and wear socks or soft soled shoes. Avoid eating a large meal 1-2 hours prior.
• Musicians should attend ready to practice Sufi rhythms with their own daf or hand drum.

The workshop and Sema will be held online however we invite participants to join us in the studio with a mask.

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Farima Berenji

Farima Berenji is an Iranian-born scholar and an award winning, internationally acclaimed performing artist, choreographer, instructor, lecturer, dance ethnologist, Sufi master, and archaeologist specializing in classical, folkloric, and sacred dances of Persia and the Silk Road. Her training spans a lifetime of intensive collaboration and research with master artists, scholars, and spiritual teachers worldwide. She is the founder and artistic director of the Simorgh Dance Collective, a worldwide collaborative devoted to teach dance technique, interpret, illustrate, present, and perform dances of the Silk Road. In 2018, Farima became the first American-Iranian woman honored to be a TEDx dance speaker and performer. Farima is a member of the International Dance Council (CID – UNESCO), UNESCO, and the National Folk Organization (NFO). Read more..