“Everything in dance is poetry. Every movement describes a story, a feeling. The dancer takes the audience into a world of fairy tales.” ~Farima Berenji
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October 2019
Love is Calling… A Sema Gathering
Sufi Brothers and Sisters, you are invited to participate in a Sema Gathering taking place at Mutlu Baba Darghah (Sufi House) in Yalova, Turkey from October 25-27. Please note that this is an invitation only and that all must register in advance. If you wish to invite anyone please contact us and register their names. The Sema will be hosted by Farima Berenji, Hatice Sara, Ozlem Cagla Yorganci, Sevim Yilmaz and Evan Janosh. We will start Friday and continue until…
Find out more »November 2019
Rose and the Nightingale
Love-Longing-Beloved Sufi Dance Retreat, 3rd Edition A 3-day intensive retreat with Sufi dance master and dance ethnologist Farima Berenji. Join Farima to venture deep into the heart through sacred circles and Sufi whirling practices. The retreat includes training in Sufi and mystical dance, ancient rituals, poetry (focus on the valley of love), music studies (understanding the Dastghah and Makhams of Sufi music), prayers, ancient mantras and Zikr based on the rotation of the Sun and Moon (Rose and Nightingale). We…
Find out more »Tanbour and Sema Workshop
Music workshop in the tanbour with History of the tanbour Study of tanbour maqams and its geographical, natural, and cultural contexts Sema with tanbour Facilitated by Salman Hosseini, tanbour player and speaker, Mehrdad Maleki, singer, daf, and tanbour player, and Farima Berenji, Sema dancer.
Find out more »Sufi Week at Shakti Wellness Center
Five days of whirling, dancing, meditation, singing and breathing with Farima Berenji
Find out more »Dance of the Soul Workshop
Discover the power and mystery of whirling as a gateway for self-growth and spiritual enlightenment through movement, music, and meditation. Inspired by nature, ancient Iranic rituals, the science of whirling, and the beautiful spiritual traditions of Sufism, join Farima to learn the essentials of whirling meditation including preparation, balance and posture, controlling dizziness, self-focus, breathwork, and more. Whirling in the practice of devotion, healing, and meditation originated thousands of years ago with the ancient Persians using it as way of…
Find out more »December 2019
Dance of the Soul Honoring Rumi
Sema, Semah, Sacred Dance, Music, and Poetry Honoring Sheb-i Arus Join us this night to celebrate our fellowship in love and spirit with whirling dance (Sema and Semah), meditation, music, and poetry. Sheb-i Arus commemorates the death and thereby union between the Persian mystical poet Rumi and the universe. We will open with sacred and mystical Sufi poetry (Farsi and English), meditation with sacred sounds, candle gazing, Hu meditation, healing circles with ancient Zoroastrian rituals, journey into whirling with live…
Find out more »Sacred Dance Gathering and Workshop
Discover the power and mystery of whirling as a gateway for self-growth and spiritual enlightenment through movement, music, and meditation. Inspired by nature, ancient Iranic rituals, the science of whirling, and the beautiful spiritual traditions of Sufism, join Farima to learn the essentials of whirling meditation including preparation, balance and posture, controlling dizziness, self-focus, breathwork, and more. Whirling in the practice of devotion, healing, and meditation originated thousands of years ago with the ancient Persians using it as way of…
Find out more »Persian Art Conference 2019
Save the date! Farima will present a lecture and perform at the 2019 Persian Art & Letters Conference in London. Farima will also present a workshop in Persian Classical dance. Persian Art & Letters Conference Theme: "Dawn of Hope – بامداد امید”. All plenary sessions will be offered in Persian and English, with dedicated programs for children and junior youth, as well as evening entertainment, arts exhibition, and much more. More details of conference program... Register...
Find out more »January 2020
Journey of the Simorgh
A dance and music concert by the Simorgh Dance Collective, adapted from the Persian epic Conference of the Birds by Farid ud-Din Attar. Featuring Persian sacred, classical, and folkloric dances choreographed by Farima Berenji, Persian music performed by Homeyra Banejad and Ensemble, and expertly narrated by award winning actor and director Sadegh Hatefi. "It was in China, late one moonless night, The Simorgh first appeared to mortal sight. He let a feather float down through the air, And rumors of…
Find out more »Dance of the Soul (Sufi Whirling Workshop & Gathering)
Join us at our monthly Sufi Whirling Workshop and Sema Gathering, with live/recorded music, meditation, whirling, Zikr (Sufi Prayer) and Sohbet (Sufi Talk). We will create a sacred, supportive space where we can all release whatever energy no longer serves us, relax and open our heart, body, and mind. We will discover the power and mystery of ancient dances and rituals – a gateway for self-growth and spiritual transformation– through movement, music, love, and stillness. Be moved by beautiful, sacred…
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