Farima Dance

Yalda: A Festival of Light
2021-12-21 19:30 - 22:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Join us for an evening celebrating Yalda (winter solstice), the longest night of the year.
Shab-e Yalda (Yalda Night) is the Persian Winter Solstice Celebration on the eve of the Winter Solstice. The Persians believed that this night is the night of the birth of Ahura Mazda and Mithra, Persian God of Light and Truth.
The longest and darkest night of the year is a time when friends and family gather together to eat, drink and read poetry (especially Hafez) and Shahnameh until well after midnight. Fruits and nuts are eaten and pomegranates and watermelons are particularly significant. The red color in these fruits symbolizes the crimson hues of dawn and glow of life. The poems of Divan-e Hafez, which can be found in the bookcases of most Iranian families, are read or recited on various occasions such as this festival and Nowruz. Shab-e Yalda was officially added to Iran’s List of National Treasures in a special ceremony in 2008. Yalda is observed in Iran, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, by Iraqi Kurdistan, and in Turkey by Kurds and Azeris.
Presented by Eastern Arts and the Simorgh Dance Collective, this second annual online gathering will be accompanied by traditional music, dance, poetry reading, presentations, quizzes, stories, and more!
All are welcome. Please register in advance to obtain a link to the online presentation.
Register
Please consider making a donation at http://donate.farimadance.com to support our artists below
Artists
Simorgh Dance Collective
Simorgh Dance Collective The Simorgh Dance Collective is a world community of artists devoted to cross-cultural dialogue and artistic collaboration through traditional, classical, and sacred dance styles of the Silk Road. The Collective currently has member companies and artist affiliations in Alaska, British Columbia, Turkey, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Read more..
Eastern Arts
Eastern Arts Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, Eastern Arts is a non-profit organization of dancers, artists, musicians, and scholars who present the folkways and traditions of many lands and peoples. Eastern Arts originated in 1960 and has been active internationally presenting dance and music of lands from Asia to North Africa, from India to the Balkans in concerts, workshops, publications, audio and video productions.
Farima Berenji
Farima Berenji Farima Berenji is an award winning, internationally acclaimed performing artist, instructor, choreographer, and dance ethnologist. A master instructor and performer in Persian and Sufi dance, she specializes in ancient, sacred, classical, and folkloric dances of Persia and Central Asia. She is honored to be the first Iranian woman to direct a Persian dance company to perform during receptions for President Obama and President Biden. Farima is the founder and artistic director of the Simorgh Dance Collective, founder of Dance of the Soul, she is the advisory council member of Mosaic America, a member of the International Dance Council (CID-UNESCO), Eastern Arts, National Folk Organization, and the first Iranian-American woman TEDx lecturer and performer in the field of dance. Recognized as one of the few world scholarly experts of ancient and mystical dance ethnology, she travels worldwide to record, research, lecture, perform, educate, and to inspire dynamic creativity and rejuvenation through dance and movement. Read more..

Seyed Salman Hosseini
Seyed Salman Seyed Salman Hosseini possesses a bachelor degree in music ethnology and is an Iranian traditional music researcher, composer and a master musician of tambour, setar, tar, and rebab. He directs the traditional Persian music ensemble Cherikeh which has been performing sacred and traditional music for many years. Seyed has produced many albums including Javdanegni and Tabeh Ghaleh. He is the music director and composer for films such as Song of God and Gadam Yar. Seyed has composed and performed more than 40 concerts and TV programs including composing music for national broadcasts of Iran. He has performed professionally in Iran, Germany, Syria, and the Iraqi Kurdistan region. Additionally, he is a Sufi master and has his own school of music and mysticism.

Nariman Assadi
Nariman Assadi Nariman Assadi was born in Hamedan, Iran on January 1, 1992. Raised in Tehran, he always felt drawn to percussion instruments. At the age of thirteen, he began studying tombak under Master Amir Mogharab Samadi. From 2008 to 2013, Nariman performed at Vahdat Hall as a soloist and with the Persian Percussion Ensemble at Pars Academy, the premier music academy for children. After mastering tombak, he then began learning Daf under the great Master Bijan Kamkar. With a strong understanding of the daf and tombak, Nariman started learning barbat (Oud) under Master Mohammad Firouzi.
In 2015, Nariman immigrated to the United States. He immediately began his professional music career by performing and attending festivals. In 2017, he started learning percussion performance and world music with Professor Daniel Kennedy at Sacramento State University. Along with being a member of various ensembles, Nariman teaches daf, tombak, other percussions, and music for children in Davis, Sacramento, and the Bay Area. He also offers music classes and workshops online. Read more..
Dr. Lloyd Miller
Dr. Lloyd Miller Dr. Lloyd Miller received his PhD in Persian Language and Literature from the University of Utah after spending seven years living in Iran where he had a weekly prime time television program titled “Kurosh Ali Khan va dastan”. His program featured musicians and other artists from around the world. Lloyd was urged to leave Iran during the revolution in the late 70s, though he had never planned to leave. An expert in world music including American jazz, Lloyd has made numerous recordings. The most popular being “Oriental Jazz” first released in 1968 and recently re-released by Vinyl Me Please selling thousands of copies worldwide. A film about Lloyd’s extraordinary life, including 6 years in Europe as a jazzman and university student where he played with some of the most well-known musicians of the time, was released in 2019 as Sufi, Saint & Swinger. It was in Paris that Lloyd met Dr. Daryush Safvat who became his lifelong mentor and who taught Lloyd the importance and significance of Persian classical music. Founder of Eastern Arts, with the blessing of Dr. Safvat, Lloyd has taught music, philosophy, history, dance and culture to thousands of students at various universities for over 40 years. Read more…
Katherine St. John
Katherine St. John Katherine St. John received a Master’s degree in dance pedagogy from Brigham Young University and a Master’s in Persian from the University of Utah and completed coursework for a PhD in dance history and theory from the University of California. Katherine has performed and choreographed for theater, dance companies, operas and at universities for 30 plus years. She was an artist in residence teaching world dance to students throughout Utah and neighboring states for 20 years. Her Master’s thesis is about dance in Herat Afghanistan from 1970-1980 during Russian interference. Read more..
and others…

Christmas and its Ancient Persian Tradition
2021-12-19 11:00 - 12:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Community Center, 938 The Alameda, San Jose, CA, 95126, United States
A Lecture by Scholar and Ethnologist, Farima Berenji
We have always known of Christmas on December 25th, with a traditional decorated tree, candles, and gifts. Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ yet its rituals and traditions far precede that time. Unquestionably, our ancestors adopted the rituals from an ancient Iranian pagan religion known as Mithraism, a form of nature worship based on the Sun God/Goddess Mithra.
On the darkest night of the year (December 20 or 21) legend has it Mithra gives birth to “Light” causing each day thereafter to grow longer until the Summer solstice. In this lecture learn of the remarkable parallels between ancient Mithraism beliefs and rituals to those of Christmas today.
Hosted by the Center for Creative Living, the program starts at 11am with a song, prayer, meditation, and announcements. Farima will be introduced and speak 30 to 40 minutes.
Park in the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Center parking lot and enter through the gate in the back. Do not go to the front door, enter through the gate in the back, show proof of vaccination, and wear a mask.
Farima Berenji
Farima Berenji is an award winning, internationally acclaimed performing artist, instructor, choreographer, and dance ethnologist. A master instructor and performer in Persian and Sufi dance, she specializes in ancient, sacred, classical, and folkloric dances of Persia and Central Asia. She is honored to be the first Iranian woman to direct a Persian dance company to perform during receptions for President Obama and President Biden. Farima is the founder and artistic director of the Simorgh Dance Collective, founder of Dance of the Soul, she is the advisory council member of Mosaic America, a member of the International Dance Council (CID-UNESCO), Eastern Arts, National Folk Organization, and the first Iranian-American woman TEDx lecturer and performer in the field of dance. Recognized as one of the few world scholarly experts of ancient and mystical dance ethnology, she travels worldwide to record, research, lecture, perform, educate, and to inspire dynamic creativity and rejuvenation through dance and movement. Read more…

Whirling and Sema Celebrating Sheb-i Arus
2021-12-12 10:00 - 11:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Join us to celebrate our fellowship in love and spirit with whirling dance (Sema), meditation, music, prayers, and poetry. Sheb-i Arus commemorates the death and thereby union between the Persian mystical poet Khodavandeghtar Jalaludin Mohammad Balkhi (Rumi) and the universe.
Our ceremony will be shared multi-nationally online with Master Seyed Salman Hosseini, Master Farima Berenji, and with live music by Dr. Lloyd Miller, Nariman Assadi, and Evan Phillips.
There will be sacred and mystical Sufi poetry (Farsi and English), meditation, whirling with live Sufi music, and Yarsani zikr. Please join masters and dervishes of the Yarsani and Mevlevi Sufi order for this sacred commemoration.
We will whirl and journey together to celebrate love, unity, and allow the light to enter our soul. Open your heart! Listen! Turn, dance, and move in anyway that makes you feel alive!
$10-15 sliding scale donation. Your donation is greatly appreciated.
Our gathering is not a performance. Come and join our sacred circle. Everyone is welcome to practice and/or observe.
Register
Guidelines and Tips

We kindly ask for no interruptions during the ceremony. We will mute all participants during the ceremony then unmute for open participation.
If you are whirling from home prepare to wear comfortable clothing, whirling skirt (optional), socks or soft-soled shoes. Avoid eating a large meal 2 hours prior.

Farima Berenji
Farima Berenji Farima Berenji is an award winning, internationally acclaimed performing artist, instructor, choreographer, and dance ethnologist. A master instructor and performer in Persian and Sufi dance, she specializes in ancient, sacred, classical, and folkloric dances of Persia and Central Asia. She is honored to be the first Iranian woman to direct a Persian dance company to perform during receptions for President Obama and President Biden. Farima is the founder and artistic director of the Simorgh Dance Collective, founder of Dance of the Soul, she is the advisory council member of Mosaic America, a member of the International Dance Council (CID-UNESCO), Eastern Arts, National Folk Organization, and the first Iranian-American woman TEDx lecturer and performer in the field of dance. Recognized as one of the few world scholarly experts of ancient and mystical dance ethnology, she travels worldwide to record, research, lecture, perform, educate, and to inspire dynamic creativity and rejuvenation through dance and movement. Read more..

Seyed Salman Hosseini
Seyed Salman Seyed Salman Hosseini possesses a bachelor degree in music ethnology and is an Iranian traditional music researcher, composer and a master musician of tambour, setar, tar, and rebab. He directs the traditional Persian music ensemble Cherikeh which has been performing sacred and traditional music for many years. Seyed has produced many albums including Javdanegni and Tabeh Ghaleh. He is the music director and composer for films such as Song of God and Gadam Yar. Seyed has composed and performed more than 40 concerts and TV programs including composing music for national broadcasts of Iran. He has performed professionally in Iran, Germany, Syria, and the Iraqi Kurdistan region. Additionally, he is a Sufi master and has his own school of music and mysticism.

Nariman Assadi
Nariman Assadi Nariman Assadi was born in Hamedan, Iran on January 1, 1992. Raised in Tehran, he always felt drawn to percussion instruments. At the age of thirteen, he began studying tombak under Master Amir Mogharab Samadi. From 2008 to 2013, Nariman performed at Vahdat Hall as a soloist and with the Persian Percussion Ensemble at Pars Academy, the premier music academy for children. After mastering tombak, he then began learning Daf under the great Master Bijan Kamkar. With a strong understanding of the daf and tombak, Nariman started learning barbat (Oud) under Master Mohammad Firouzi.
In 2015, Nariman immigrated to the United States. He immediately began his professional music career by performing and attending festivals. In 2017, he started learning percussion performance and world music with Professor Daniel Kennedy at Sacramento State University. Along with being a member of various ensembles, Nariman teaches daf, tombak, other percussions, and music for children in Davis, Sacramento, and the Bay Area. He also offers music classes and workshops online. Read more..
Dr. Lloyd Miller
Dr. Lloyd Miller Dr. Lloyd Miller received his PhD in Persian Language and Literature from the University of Utah after spending seven years living in Iran where he had a weekly prime time television program titled “Kurosh Ali Khan va dastan”. His program featured musicians and other artists from around the world. Lloyd was urged to leave Iran during the revolution in the late 70s, though he had never planned to leave. An expert in world music including American jazz, Lloyd has made numerous recordings. The most popular being “Oriental Jazz” first released in 1968 and recently re-released by Vinyl Me Please selling thousands of copies worldwide. A film about Lloyd’s extraordinary life, including 6 years in Europe as a jazzman and university student where he played with some of the most well-known musicians of the time, was released in 2019 as Sufi, Saint & Swinger. It was in Paris that Lloyd met Dr. Daryush Safvat who became his lifelong mentor and who taught Lloyd the importance and significance of Persian classical music. Founder of Eastern Arts, with the blessing of Dr. Safvat, Lloyd has taught music, philosophy, history, dance and culture to thousands of students at various universities for over 40 years. Read more…

Whirling Workshop: Dance of the Soul
2021-11-22 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Historic Villa, Montalvo Arts Center, 15400 Montalvo Road, PO Box 158, Saratoga, California, 95071, United States
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 Persian rituals, science, 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 many ancient cultures using it as way of connecting the body and soul. Today, Sufis use it as a powerful meditation ritual with music, poetry, and movement. Based on this centuries-old Sufi ritual, whirling can unite mind, heart, and body.
In advance:

Wear comfortable clothing and plan to wear socks or soft soled shoes.
Avoid eating a large meal 1-2 hours prior.

No experience necessary to begin participating. With help anyone can learn and master whirling techniques while respecting one’s own limitations.
Register
Farima Berenji
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..

Bursa Sema Gathering
2021-10-23 12:00 - 2021-10-24 12:00 (Europe/Moscow) | Uludağ Forest Farm, Osmangazi, Bursa, Turkey
Sufi brothers and sisters, you are invited to participate in a Sema Gathering taking place at the Uludağ Forest Farm in Bursa, Turkey from October 23 noon to October 24 noon. Please note that this is an invitation only and that all coming must register in advance for RSVP. If you wish to invite anyone please contact us and register their names. No entry without advance registration.
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 prayers, whirling, music, and love. Be moved by beautiful Sufi and Sacred music, songs, chanting, poetry, rituals, and dance in prayers!
During our Sema Gathering, Master Farima Berenji and other guest Sufi Masters will lead Zikr, Sema, Khorasan Semah, and other rituals and ceremonies.
You are welcome to set and feel the healing energy, bring a poem to share, join our Zikr, pray with us, laugh or cry… as we journey together to be closer to the light.

Musicians — Feel free to bring your instruments and join our music circle. Let your heart guide your music during our open floor Sema
Semazens — Open your heart and whirl!
Lovers, Seekers, and Watchers — Come and join our sacred circle. You are welcome to set and feel the healing energy, bring a poem to share, join our Zikr, pray with us, laugh or cry… as we journey together to be closer to the light.

Open your heart! Listen! Turn, dance, and move in anyway that makes you feel alive!
Registration
There is no fee for this sema. We are organizing this sema from the heart but we kindly ask participants to help us by making a donation or to volunteer in helping us with food, cleaning, organizations and other expenses.
Remember this is a private event and you need to make sure you contact us and register in advance. A Facebook notification will not be counted as registration.
Due to Covid restrictions, I will only accept a limited amount of participants. You must contact me and register your name.
Please send us an email to farimadance @ gmail.com with your full name to confirm with us. Thank you. 😊
Guidelines and Rules

We kindly ask for no talking on the whirling floor and to keep the Sema area quiet at all times. Respect yourself as well as those around you.
For this gathering please wear proper and respectful clothing, whirling skirt (optional), socks or soft-soled shoes.
Absolutely no drugs or alcohol is allowed for this event. Using any illegal substance will be severely enforced. Organizers have the right to block entry to any participants who do not respect these rules.
Please do not smoke inside and around the Sufi House. There will be some designated areas for smoking.
Please keep the Sufi House clean. Clean after yourself and help others to keep the area clean.

English: Farima Berenji

Spirals of Ecstasy
2021-10-16 18:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York) | Last Frontier NYC, 520 Kingsland Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11222, United States
A Sufi Invocation
Sunset – 8:00 pm on
Come welcome Farima Berenji , founder of the Simorgh Dance Collective, and Magi Sufi Dance Master to Brooklyn!
Farima will lead us in with a Sunset Sufi Invocation and be our guide through a night of dancing dervishes, poetry, a celebration spinning and whirling in its many mystical forms.
In addition to Farima Berenji the night will feature the musical talents of Hadi & Mohamad Eldebek and the acclaimed Brooklyn Nomads. Poetry recitation by Sireen,and spinning spirals from Geb Berry and other guests…all in the Spiraling Smoke of the Last Frontier in Brooklyn.
Suggested donation $20+
Tickets
Farima will also be hosting a Sufi dance workshop with more details to follow

Whirling: Dance of the Divine Nature
2021-10-04 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Historic Villa, Montalvo Arts Center, 15400 Montalvo Road, PO Box 158, Saratoga, California, 95071, United States
Discover whirling and ancient Persian mystic dance movements, incorporating meditation and breath work as you unlock new ways of exploring connections between body, mind, and nature.
Instructor Farima Berenji will guide you through the process as you open yourself to a deeper level of communication and interaction with your spiritual self. Whirling is a practice of devotion, healing, and meditation. Originating thousands of years ago, it was seen as way of connecting the body and soul. Everything in nature was believed to have a soul, and dance was used as a rhythmic ritual that helped us form connections with the world around us. Together, we will learn these techniques and seek to discover the many ways in which the Earth speaks to each of us.
Register
Farima Berenji
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..

Mosaic Festival Silicon Valley
2021-10-02 12:00 - 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Mexican Heritage Plaza, 1700 Alum Rock, San Jose, CA, United States
Join the celebration of our mosaic of American cultures at the first annual MOSAIC FESTIVAL in Silicon Valley. The very first of its kind, the festival honors our community with a day of belonging, healing, and harmony through art.
Experience performances by artists around the Bay Area. Discover cultures through food in an eclectic curation of food trucks and small business vendors. Shake off the languishing of quarantine through movement, whether it’s through walking, yoga, or dancing in place. Marvel at the art by local creators at an exhibit of their work that presents their perspective of the “American Mosaic.” Most importantly, take part in our united effort to heal from the pandemics of COVID-19 and racism that attempted to erode who and what we truly are: a united mosaic of American communities, rooted in our love for our home – the gleaming, diverse, and culturally-rich Silicon Valley.
For program and more details visit the Mosaic America Festival site

Dance of the Soul
2021-09-29 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Celebrating Rumi’s Birthday
“Love is the bridge between you and everything.”
~ Rumi
Join us to celebrate our fellowship in love and spirit with whirling dance (Sema), meditation, live music, prayers, and poetry. We will be celebrating the birthday of Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Rūmī
Our ceremony will be shared multi-nationally online with live music including Pir Seyed Salman, Master Farima Berenji, Dr. Lloyd Miller, Evan Phillips, and Homeyra Banejad.
Join us for sacred and mystical Sufi poetry (Farsi and English), meditation, whirling with live music, prayer, and zikr.
We will whirl and journey together to celebrate love, unity, and allow the light to enter our soul. Open your heart! Listen! Turn, dance, and move in anyway that makes you feel alive!
$10 sliding scale donation. Your donation is greatly appreciated.
Our gathering is not a performance. Come and join our sacred circle. You are welcome to set and feel the healing energy and prepare a poem to share as we journey together to be closer to the light.
Register
Guidelines and Tips

We kindly ask for no interruptions during the ceremony. We will mute all participants during the ceremony then unmute for open participation.
If you are whirling from home prepare to wear comfortable clothing, whirling skirt (optional), socks or soft-soled shoes. Avoid eating a large meal 2 hours prior.

Farima Berenji
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..
Seyed Salman Hosseini
Seyed Salman Seyed Salman Hosseini possesses a bachelor degree in music ethnology and is an Iranian traditional music researcher, composer and a master musician of tambour, setar, tar, and rebab. He directs the traditional Persian music ensemble Cherikeh which has been performing sacred and traditional music for many years. Seyed has produced many albums including Javdanegni and Tabeh Ghaleh. He is the music director and composer for films such as Song of God and Gadam Yar. Seyed has composed and performed more than 40 concerts and TV programs including composing music for national broadcasts of Iran. He has performed professionally in Iran, Germany, Syria, and the Iraqi Kurdistan region. Additionally, he is a Sufi master and has his own school of music and mysticism.
Dr. Lloyd Miller
Dr. Lloyd Miller Dr. Lloyd Miller received his PhD in Persian Language and Literature from the University of Utah after spending seven years living in Iran where he had a weekly prime time television program titled “Kurosh Ali Khan va dastan”. His program featured musicians and other artists from around the world. Lloyd was urged to leave Iran during the revolution in the late 70s, though he had never planned to leave. An expert in world music including American jazz, Lloyd has made numerous recordings. The most popular being “Oriental Jazz” first released in 1968 and recently re-released by Vinyl Me Please selling thousands of copies worldwide. A film about Lloyd’s extraordinary life, including 6 years in Europe as a jazzman and university student where he played with some of the most well-known musicians of the time, is soon to be released. Titled “” the film will be screened in Finland October 25 at the World Music Expo. It was in Paris that Lloyd met Dr. Daryush Safvat who became his lifelong mentor and who taught Lloyd the importance and significance of Persian classical music. Founder of Eastern Arts, with the blessing of Dr. Safvat, Lloyd has taught music, philosophy, history, dance and culture to thousands of students at various universities for over 40 years. Read more…
Homerya Banejad
Homerya Banejad and Ensemble Homerya Banejad is an Iranian daf player and vocalist. As a member of the Iranian Musician Union of Iran she has performed in Iran and the US with Sima Bina, Hamed Nikpay, Simin Ghanem, and many more artists!

Viva Calle SJ
2021-09-19 10:00 - 15:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Mexican Heritage Plaza, 1700 Alum Rock, San Jose, CA, United States
Viva CalleSJ provides people with the chance to enjoy a day of fun connecting with other residents of San Jose and their city in a whole new way. Viva Calle SJ is an open streets event! Feel free to walk, bike, skate or just come play in the streets!
The Simorgh Dance Collective performs at noon outside the Mexican Heritage Plaza (MHP), on the street, on Alum Rock Ave. The area is part of Viva Calle SJ, where they close many streets in San Jose for vehicles; and encourage people to walk/ bike/ skate… The performance will include audience interaction.
Viva CalleSJ is a program of the city of San Jose and the San Jose Parks Recreation and Neighborhood Services.

Dance and Rhythm of the Soul
2021-09-05 14:00 - 16:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Center for Creative Living, 1460 Koll Circle, Suite C, San Jose, CA, 95112, United States
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.
Register

Nariman Assadi
Nariman Assadi Nariman Assadi was born in Hamedan, Iran on January 1, 1992. Raised in Tehran, he always felt drawn to percussion instruments. At the age of thirteen, he began studying tombak under Master Amir Mogharab Samadi. From 2008 to 2013, Nariman performed at Vahdat Hall as a soloist and with the Persian Percussion Ensemble at Pars Academy, the premier music academy for children. After mastering tombak, he then began learning Daf under the great Master Bijan Kamkar. With a strong understanding of the daf and tombak, Nariman started learning barbat (Oud) under Master Mohammad Firouzi.
In 2015, Nariman immigrated to the United States. He immediately began his professional music career by performing and attending festivals. In 2017, he started learning percussion performance and world music with Professor Daniel Kennedy at Sacramento State University. Along with being a member of various ensembles, Nariman teaches daf, tombak, other percussions, and music for children in Davis, Sacramento, and the Bay Area. He also offers music classes and workshops online. Read more..
Farima Berenji
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..

Dance of the Soul (Sema Gathering and Workshop)
2021-08-22 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Purple Door Yoga, 10 Colonial Road, Salem, MA, 01970, United States
Discover the power and mystery of sacred dance with mediation, music, poetry, whirling and ancient Healing Practices.
Join Farima for a Sufi Whirling Workshop and Sema Gathering, with sacred 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 music
Overview
Our gathering is NOT a performance. More details about sacred dance and Sema training may be found here.

First join for a welcoming circle and Farima will lead us into her unique 4 element breathing meditation or 7 mode music meditation and relaxation.
We will progress into various Sufi whirling workshop techniques and styles.
Next we will progress into a prayer and open floor whirling with both live and recorded world sacred music, poetry, and drumming.
We will close with a Zikr (Sufi Prayers), ancient Iranian Shamanic rituals, sharing, a gratitude circle, and Sohbet (Sufi Talk) by Dervish and Semazen, Farima Berenji.

Farima’s teachings are based on ancient Iranic rituals, science of whirling, and the sacred geometry of whirling. We will learn essential techniques of whirling preparation, maintaining balance and posture, controlling dizziness, self-focus during turning, breath work, and more.
Price is $15 – 20.
Register
In advance:

We kindly ask for no talking on the whirling floor and to keep the Sema area quiet at all times. Respect yourself as well as those around you.
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
Bring poetry to share.
Bring a musical instrument that you play.

No experience necessary to begin participating. With help anyone can learn and master whirling techniques while respecting one’s own limitations.
Farima Berenji
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..

Dance of the Soul: An Introduction to Sufi Whirling
2021-08-22 14:00 - 15:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
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, science, 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 connecting the body and soul. Today, Sufis use it as a powerful meditation ritual with music, poetry, and movement. Based on this centuries-old Sufi ritual, whirling can unite mind, heart, and body.
Online, hosted by East West Books of Mountain View, CA.
Price is $25.
Register
In advance:

Please wear comfortable clothing and plan to wear socks or soft soled shoes.
Avoid eating a large meal 1-2 hours prior.

No experience necessary to begin participating. With help anyone can learn and master whirling techniques while respecting one’s own limitations.

Spirituality in Persian Dance
2021-08-01 11:30 - 12:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Persian dance inherits a historic culture of 8000 years in history with a blend of enchanting sacred movements rich in the elemental beauty of nature: birds, animals, flowers, and the elements. In ancient Persia, it was believed that these beings and elements carried the spirit of the Divine. Dance is inspired by mystical Persian poetry, sensuous miniature artwork, mystic rhythms of Persian music, and ancient and devotional rituals and prayers. Delicate, refined, and full of meaning, the spirit of Persian dance is derived from the ancient mystical treasure of beliefs and spirituality. Learn how dance is prayer and prayer is dance.

Learn of the mystical origins of Persian dance
Learn how dance is prayer and prayer is dance.
Learn more how these movements were used for prayers and rituals
Hear stories of Farima’s journey and how dance became her spiritual path
Get a sneek peek into Farima’s upcoming book.

Presented by Sufi dance master and scholar Farima Berenji.
Register

Whirling And Sacred Dances Of Nature
2021-06-23 11:00 - 17:00 (Asia/Beirut) | Beit Mery Pine Forest, VJ64+62, Ouyoun, Lebanon
Due to overwhelming demand and for those who were unable to join Farima’s recent workshop, we invite you to join us for a special spiritual Sufi and Sacred workshop in nature with Master Farima Berenji. Together we will call upon the spirit of nature (the trees, flowers, and the forest) and learn sacred dance and Sema (whirling) found in the spirals of nature.
We will explore the sacred geometry and the spirituality of nature and the seven sacred flowers/trees through Sufi whirling, ancient Persian mystic dance movements, meditation, poetry, and music. We will open to a deeper level of communication and interaction with nature and discover the many ways in which the Earth speaks to us.
The day’s activities include:

Five Element Sufi Breathing, Meditation, and Nature Walk.
Basic Whirling Technique for beginners.
Communication with plants through dance, prayers, and rituals.
Sema of Nature – Sufi whirling (Iranian Sufi Tradition) of the Seven Sacred flowers/trees among its mystical and healing meanings.
Poetry, Music, Chanting, Sharing Circle.
Zikr (Sufi Prayer) and Ancient Zoroastrian Prayers based on Nature

The location chosen is Pine Forest in Beit Mery
Arrival time is 10:30am. The workshop will start 11:00am sharp.
What to bring:

Your mask and preferred disinfectant/sanitizer.
A poetry book or prose from which you might read and share.
Potluck – light food like sandwiches, pastries and fruits. Your lunch, snacks and drinks, and most importantly drinking water. (Please keep your choices vegetarian!)
Yoga mat or something comfortable to place and sit on the ground.
Practical and comfortable walking shoes. (There is a downhill walk to the area where the retreat will take place)
Soft soled shoes, socks, and whirling skirt (optional) for whirling

Rules & Guidelines:

All programs begin promptly at 11:00am. Please be respectful and arrive on time. Farima will give a single basic whirling technique training only at the start of the workshop so arrive on time. We will not go over the basic technique again that day.
We kindly ask for no talking on the teaching or whirling space and to keep the area quiet at all times.
For this gathering please wear comfortable and discreet clothing, a whirling skirt (optional), socks, or soft-soled shoes. White or light colored clothing is preferred.
No drugs, alcohol or smoking are allowed for this event.
No video or photography is permitted unless permission is granted by the teacher/master.

Please keep the area clean and help each other to do so.
Come with an open heart and be receptive to what comes up for you.
It’s a time to be of support and balance altogether in this sacred circle. We are all Love.

Kindly RSVP for registration, and let’s whirl one last time!
RSVP
Farima Berenji
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..
The Wellness Project
The Wellness Project aims to raise awareness and support community by presenting relevant and emerging information in the field of holistic well-being and environmental health. Read more…
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WellnessMiddleEast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellnessproject_me/

Sufi Woman's Circle Retreat
2021-06-11 19:30 - 2021-06-13 17:00 (Asia/Beirut) | Houna Center Hamra, VFWP+2J, Beirut, Lebanon
“From the beginning of time, sacred movements and music have brought people together and healed the soul.”
Based on the success of her last workshop in Lebanon Love is Calling, The Wellness Project welcomes Sufi Dance Master and Ethnologist Farima Berenji for another weekend workshop dedicated to women, entitled “Sufi Woman’s Circle Retreat”.
Women’s ritual dances and gatherings observe marriage, fertility, rites of passage, children, gratitude, death, and their unique connection of their body to the moon and cycle of nature for invoking the spirit and embodying the elements. You will be introduced to rituals celebrating the grace and joy of life and to a society where and when women were honored and people lived in harmony with each other and with nature.
In many cultures it is believed that each woman is the embodiment of a Goddess, Divine Feminine Energy; and to stay in harmony with ourselves, it is important to acknowledge and embrace them. In this journey, we will gather in the mystical circle of women and honor the Goddess within. We will create a sacred, supportive space where we can all release whatever energy no longer serves us, relax and open your heart, body, and mind. We will explore the magic within us, and spirituality about us.
In this retreat, Farima has combined the sacred phrases, chants, music, and movements from ancient Persian spiritual traditions and Sufism to help touch the spiritual essence within us and to help us recognize it in others. These fundamental elements compose the ancient, contemporary, and devotional roots of sacred dance.
The full immersion workshop will include:

Women’s Sufi Dances and Zikr (Iranian, Central Asian, and Turkish Traditions)
Sacred Dances of the Silk Road
Ancient Persian and Central Asian Healing Circles and Rituals (Zar, Gwati, Chupi)
Historical Lectures
Evening Gatherings, Drum Circles and Sharing
Dances of the Sun and Moon

Schedule
Friday, June 11: Welcome at 7:00 pm, Program: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm.
Saturday, June 12: Welcome at 10:30 am, Program: 10:45 am – 8:30 pm.
Sunday, June 13: Welcome at 10:45 am, Program: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm.
Registration
Full event admission fee is at LL350,000 per person for the entire workshop, to be paid up front upon arrival. You are responsible for your own accommodations.
RSVP
Farima Berenji
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..
The Wellness Project
The Wellness Project aims to raise awareness and support community by presenting relevant and emerging information in the field of holistic well-being and environmental health. Read more…
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WellnessMiddleEast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellnessproject_me/

ReBirth
2021-05-28 17:00 - 21:00, 2021-05-27 17:00 - 21:00 (Asia/Beirut) | Mina Image Centre, Stone Gardens Building, Darwich Haddad Street, Beirut, Lebanon
Mina Image Centre is delighted to invite you to ReBirth, a night of improvised Sufi dance, music and poetry.
Performing artist Farima Berenji and musician Hanan Halwany unite for a magical performance of improvised Sufi dance and music. Joining them on stage will be Nicole Farah reciting a selection of poetry by some of the great Sufi poets including Rumi and Hafez. The performances will take place as part of Mina’s ongoing intervention “Beirut Kaputt?” curated by Stéphane Sisco, with Ayman Baalbaki’s painting “All That Remains” as the backdrop.
Dates: 27th & 28th May
Times: 5 – 6.30 pm & 7.30 – 9 pm
Admission
Admission is free. Donations greatly appreciated.
Spaces are limited so please RSVP in advance to: info@minaimagecentre.org
Otherwise entrance will be on a first come, first serve basis.
Drinks will be sold at the bar. Please respect Covid distancing rules and wear your mask.
Special thanks to Greta Khoury, Bernard Khalil, Jean Gibran, Mersel Wine, The Blue House Tea, Riwaq Beirut, The Saadallah & Loubna Foundation, and Géraldine Blache.
Artists
Performing artist: Farima Berenji
Musician: Hanan Halwany
Poetry recital: Nicole Farah
Production manager: Géraldine Blache
Farima Berenji
Farima Berenji Farima Berenji is an Iranian-American award winning Dance Ethnologist and internationally acclaimed dance artist, choreographer, instructor, and Sufi Dance Master. Recognized and certified as one of the few world scholarly experts of ancient and mystical Iranic dance ethnology by UNESCO, she travels worldwide to record, research, lecture, perform, educate, heal and inspire dynamic creativity and rejuvenation through dance and movement. Farima is passionate about the role dance has played in her life. At her core, she believes dance rituals invoke healing and harmony and feels strongly that bringing these ancient rituals back to life will help bring positive change to our lives. 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). More details…
Hanan Halwany
Hanan Halwany is a renowned Buzuq player and composer who has been passionate about playing and composing music since she was young. She studied music and specialized in the Oud and later the Buzuq. She is a solo Buzuq player and has also performed with a number of other renowned musicians, bands and orchestras since 2011. Her music compositions have been broadcasted on radio stations and TV channels, and were adopted in the musical score of a Lebanese movie. She was awarded a medal and certificate in 2019 by The Beirut Popular Assembly for her Buzuq playing and composing. Hanan is currently working on a solo album, and continues to collaborate with local and international artists. She is also putting together a new band together with fellow musicians through which she is experimenting with new styles and compositions.
Nicole Farah
Nicole Farah is a human rights activist and a certified psychologist. She is currently working with KAFA, a feminist, secular, Lebanese, non-profit, non-governmental civil society organization seeking to create a society that is free of social, economic and legal patriarchal structures that discriminate against women. Nicole is a yoga teacher and 5rhythms practitioner with a passion for expressive dance and Sufi whirling. She has collaborated with artists and musicians on a number of improvised dance projects and live performances. Nicole also finds expression and rhythm in poetry and writing, and has performed at a number of spoken word events

Dance of the Soul: An Introduction to Sufi Whirling
2021-04-22 19:00 - 21:00, 2021-01-06 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
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, science, 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 connecting the body and soul. Today, Sufis use it as a powerful meditation ritual with music, poetry, and movement. Based on this centuries-old Sufi ritual, whirling can unite mind, heart, and body.
Online, hosted by East West Books of Mountain View, CA.
Price is $30.
Register
In advance:

Please wear comfortable clothing and plan to wear socks or soft soled shoes.
Avoid eating a large meal 1-2 hours prior.

No experience necessary to begin participating. With help anyone can learn and master whirling techniques while respecting one’s own limitations.

NFO Annual Conference
2021-04-09 14:30 - 15:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Farima will be teaching and presenting an Iranian Qashqai scarf dance on April 9, 2:30-3:00pm at the annual National Folk Organization (NFO) conference held online via Zoom.
NFO Annual Conference Apr. 7-11, 2021
This year’s NFO conference embraces the virtual world of folk arts and spans the globe. There will be master teachers giving dance workshops; experts presenting their research into folk arts; participatory folk music, crafts lessons, South Appalachian flat footing, French Canadian children’s dances, Pacific Northwest First Nations traditions, Polynesian singing, and Bulgarian folk dancing in Japan. Additionally, there will be group discussions about current issues and concerns, and breakout rooms for smaller group discussions on a variety of relevant topics.

Dance Workshops
Dance Parties
Live Music
Folk Craft Sessions
More…

Read more…
Free Registration
Register

Traditional Afghan Dance
2021-03-28 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
This lecture will present an overview of traditional dance in Afghanistan and influences by neighboring countries India, Iran, Central Asia and Russia. Katherine will be sharing her field experience and stories researching dance within Afghanistan.
All are welcome. Please register in advance to obtain a link to the online lecture.
Register
Please consider making a donation at http://donate.farimadance.com to support our artists below
Katherine St. John
Katherine St. John Katherine St. John received a Master’s degree in dance pedagogy from Brigham Young University and a Master’s in Persian from the University of Utah and completed coursework for a PhD in dance history and theory from the University of California. Katherine has performed and choreographed for theater, dance companies, operas and at universities for 30 plus years. She was an artist in residence teaching world dance to students throughout Utah and neighboring states for 20 years. Her Master’s thesis is about dance in Herat Afghanistan from 1970-1980 during Russian interference. Read more..

Norouz 1400 Concert
2021-03-21 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Join artists Bijan Maysami, Metanat Sedeghi, and Farima Berenji live online celebrating the ancient festival of Norouz with lively folk music and a wonderful Haft-seen welcoming Spring in happiness and joy.
The number seven is the representation of spiritual perfection and the whole of the world according to ancient Iranians and Indians. In addition to many religions having a spiritual interpretation of this number in acquiring perfection, the traditional Iranian Haft-seen illustrates the combination of seven objects representing bliss and prosperity arriving with the new year.
Registration is $20 USD
Event starts 11am Mountain (Calgary, AB) or 10am Pacific
Register

Norouz Celebration
2021-03-20 18:00 - 22:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Join us for an evening celebrating Norouz, the coming of Spring!
Norouz is the traditional spring and new year celebration of the Persian and Central Asian people. Norouz means “New Day” and it falls on the March equinox, the first day of spring. Families on Norouz gather together and wait for the exact time it is declared, exchange gifts and eat a feast of traditional food. It’s a time to celebrate ancestry and family. Norouz has been celebrated by people from diverse ethnic communities and religious backgrounds for thousands of years.
Presented by the Simorgh Dance Collective and Eastern Arts, activities for our online gathering will include:

Traditional performances of sacred, classical, and folkloric dances of the Silk Road
Live traditional Persian music
Story telling and lectures of Norouz and rituals across the Silk Road
Poetry reading
Dance and music workshops

All are welcome! Please register in advance to obtain a link to the online presentation.
Register
Please consider making a donation at http://donate.farimadance.com to support our artists below
Simorgh Dance Collective
Simorgh Dance Collective The Simorgh Dance Collective is a world community of artists devoted to cross-cultural dialogue and artistic collaboration through traditional, classical, and sacred dance styles of the Silk Road. The Collective currently has member companies and artist affiliations in Alaska, British Columbia, Turkey, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Read more..
Eastern Arts
Eastern Arts Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, Eastern Arts is a non-profit organization of dancers, artists, musicians, and scholars who present the folkways and traditions of many lands and peoples. Eastern Arts originated in 1960 and has been active internationally presenting dance and music of lands from Asia to North Africa, from India to the Balkans in concerts, workshops, publications, audio and video productions.
Farima Berenji
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..
Dr. Lloyd Miller
Dr. Lloyd Miller Dr. Lloyd Miller received his PhD in Persian Language and Literature from the University of Utah after spending seven years living in Iran where he had a weekly prime time television program titled “Kurosh Ali Khan va dastan”. His program featured musicians and other artists from around the world. Lloyd was urged to leave Iran during the revolution in the late 70s, though he had never planned to leave. An expert in world music including American jazz, Lloyd has made numerous recordings. The most popular being “Oriental Jazz” first released in 1968 and recently re-released by Vinyl Me Please selling thousands of copies worldwide. A film about Lloyd’s extraordinary life, including 6 years in Europe as a jazzman and university student where he played with some of the most well-known musicians of the time, is soon to be released. Titled “” the film will be screened in Finland October 25 at the World Music Expo. It was in Paris that Lloyd met Dr. Daryush Safvat who became his lifelong mentor and who taught Lloyd the importance and significance of Persian classical music. Founder of Eastern Arts, with the blessing of Dr. Safvat, Lloyd has taught music, philosophy, history, dance and culture to thousands of students at various universities for over 40 years. Read more…
Katherine St. John
Katherine St. John Katherine St. John received a Master’s degree in dance pedagogy from Brigham Young University and a Master’s in Persian from the University of Utah and completed coursework for a PhD in dance history and theory from the University of California. Katherine has performed and choreographed for theater, dance companies, operas and at universities for 30 plus years. She was an artist in residence teaching world dance to students throughout Utah and neighboring states for 20 years. Her Master’s thesis is about dance in Herat Afghanistan from 1970-1980 during Russian interference. Read more..

Nariman Assadi
Nariman Assadi Nariman Assadi was born in Hamedan, Iran on January 1, 1992. Raised in Tehran, he always felt drawn to percussion instruments. At the age of thirteen, he began studying tombak under Master Amir Mogharab Samadi. From 2008 to 2013, Nariman performed at Vahdat Hall as a soloist and with the Persian Percussion Ensemble at Pars Academy, the premier music academy for children. After mastering tombak, he then began learning Daf under the great Master Bijan Kamkar. With a strong understanding of the daf and tombak, Nariman started learning barbat (Oud) under Master Mohammad Firouzi.
In 2015, Nariman immigrated to the United States. He immediately began his professional music career by performing and attending festivals. In 2017, he started learning percussion performance and world music with Professor Daniel Kennedy at Sacramento State University. Along with being a member of various ensembles, Nariman teaches daf, tombak, other percussions, and music for children in Davis, Sacramento, and the Bay Area. He also offers music classes and workshops online. Read more..
Rashid Sadat
Rashid Sadat Rashid Sadat is a well-known performer, originally from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. His work in Central Asia included lead roles in popular films during early 2000’s, plus regular TV appearances and as a daily radio host on Auto Radio Hamroh FM102. With over 10 years of theatre experience including acting and directing, Rashid is also a well known folk dancer, having performed at dance and music festivals in London, Sweden, Greece, and Germany. Now living in London, Rashid has expanded his portfolio to include work as an extra in big budget films. In 2015 alone he worked on Spectre (James Bond), Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, and others. In addition to film, Rashid is also well known in London as a host for cultural and arts events, and starred in his own one-man show, Dervish, at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre in 2012.
Seyed Salman Hosseini
Seyed Salman Seyed Salman Hosseini possesses a bachelor degree in music ethnology and is an Iranian traditional music researcher, composer and a master musician of tambour, setar, tar, and rebab. He directs the traditional Persian music ensemble Cherikeh which has been performing sacred and traditional music for many years. Seyed has produced many albums including Javdanegni and Tabeh Ghaleh. He is the music director and composer for films such as Song of God and Gadam Yar. Seyed has composed and performed more than 40 concerts and TV programs including composing music for national broadcasts of Iran. He has performed professionally in Iran, Germany, Syria, and the Iraqi Kurdistan region. Additionally, he is a Sufi master and has his own school of music and mysticism.
Homeyra Banejad
Homeyra Banejad Homeyra Banejad is an Iranian daf player and vocalist. As a member of the Iranian Musician Union of Iran she has performed in Iran and the US with Sima Bina, Hamed Nikpay, Simin Ghanem, and many more artists!

Dance of the Soul (Sufi Whirling & Virtual Gathering)
2021-02-20 11:30 - 12:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Join us at our monthly Sufi Whirling 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 music.

This will be an online event only with participation by Zoom conferencing.
Overview
Our gathering is NOT a performance.

First join for a welcoming circle and Farima will lead us into her unique 4 element breathing meditation or 7 mode music meditation and relaxation.
We will progress into Sufi whirling following facilitation by Farima.
We will close with a Zikr (Sufi Prayers), ancient Iranian Shamanic rituals, sharing, and a gratitude circle

Farima’s teachings are based on ancient Iranic rituals, science of whirling, and the sacred geometry of whirling. We will learn essential techniques of whirling preparation, maintaining balance and posture, controlling dizziness, self-focus during turning, breath work, and more.
Farima’s monthly Sema Gathering offers a unique expression of sacred culture, inspired by nature, ancient Iranic rituals, and the beautiful spiritual traditions of Sufism. We will whirl and journey together to celebrate love, unity, and allow the light to enter our soul.
Open your heart! Listen! Turn, dance, and move in anyway that makes you feel alive!
Register online
Guidelines and Tips

We kindly ask for no talking on the whirling floor and to keep the Sema area quiet at all times. Respect yourself as well as those around you.
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

Farima Berenji
Founder and Artistic Director, Worldwide Simorgh Dance Collective, 2007
Founder and Director of Dance of the Soul ® and the Awakening and Lioness Project ® (Ancient Iranic Warrior Dances and Rituals, 2013)
Farima Berenji is an award winning Dance Ethnologist and internationally acclaimed dance artist, choreographer, instructor, and Sufi dance master. Recognized and certified as one of the few world scholarly experts of ancient and mystical Iranian dance ethnology by UNESCO, she travels worldwide to record, research, lecture, perform, educate, and to inspire dynamic creativity and rejuvenation through dance and movement. She is a Magi (Iranian Shaman Master) and a Sufi.
Farima has worked as a UN scholar, researching and led an excavations team of Iranian archeology emphasizing the preservation of ancient and mystical Iranic dances. Farima’s dance and spiritual training spans years of intensive research with master artists, scholars, and spiritual teachers worldwide. She comes from the Sufi Order of Yarsan of Iran and has devoted her life into researching and brining back the ancient Sufi traditions of Iran and the origin of Sema (Khorasan Sema).
Farima teaches her own original research findings, methods, techniques, and exercises to uncover the connection between the soul and dance movements based on the book she is writing ‘Seven Sema’ the connection of human soul and the 7 sacred elements of life. Her signature dance projects (dance of the soul and the lioness) combines Persian and Near Eastern sacred and mystical dance forms, history, poetry, and the Sufi and healing rituals of ancient Iran Persia, the Altai Mountains, and Central Asia.
As a scholar, Farima presents new archaeological discoveries and research upon Sufism and its connection to the ancient Zoroastrianism and Sufism, the human body, and its symbolic meaning in the Universe along the pathway to the soul. She will introduce you to ritual movements celebrating the grace and joy of life and to a society where and when people lived in harmony with each other and with nature. She teaches her own unique movement and techniques that are researched and inspired during her various studies in Khaneqas (Sufi Houses) and Fire temples of Khorasan, Kurdistan, Tehran, and Shiraz.
Farima is one of the few Iranian women who has been allowed to teach, write and perform the Gwati and Vahishta Sema Rituals in Iran and around the world and has been recognized by Iran and UN as the pioneer of bringing back the original mystic Rituals of Khorasan. She is the first Iranian woman to have received the CID-UNESCO award and certification and is currently the dance ambassador of UNESCO, the first Iranian woman artist to receive the National Folk Dance Association award, and the first Iranian woman healer and dancer to have been chosen for TED Talk. Farima is the recipient of the prestigious UN award and has been recognized by Congressman Mike Honda, by the Iranian Women’s Rights Committee “30 Voices,” Music and Cultural Organization of Turkey. Farima was the first Iranian, to have been invited and perform during a reception for US President Obama, Governor of Alaska, UN, EU, Ambassador of Canada, and Ambassador of Spain. Read more…

Yalda: A Festival of Light
2020-12-21 18:00 - 2020-12-22 00:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Join us for an evening celebrating Yalda (winter solstice), the longest night of the year and the birth of Mithra.
Shab-e Yalda (Yalda Night) is the Persian Winter Solstice Celebration on the eve of the Winter Solstice. The Persians believed that this night is the night of the birth of Ahura Mazda and Mithra, Persian God of Light and Truth. He was born on the morning of the longest night of the year.
Presented by Eastern Arts and the Simorgh Dance Collective, this first annual online gathering will be accompanied by music, dance, poetry reading, Persian mythology and stories, and more! Portions are recorded and live.
All are welcome. Please register in advance to obtain a link to the online presentation.
Register
Please consider making a donation at http://donate.farimadance.com to support our artists below
Simorgh Dance Collective
Simorgh Dance Collective The Simorgh Dance Collective is a world community of artists devoted to cross-cultural dialogue and artistic collaboration through traditional, classical, and sacred dance styles of the Silk Road. The Collective currently has member companies and artist affiliations in Alaska, British Columbia, Turkey, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Read more..
Eastern Arts
Eastern Arts Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, Eastern Arts is a non-profit organization of dancers, artists, musicians, and scholars who present the folkways and traditions of many lands and peoples. Eastern Arts originated in 1960 and has been active internationally presenting dance and music of lands from Asia to North Africa, from India to the Balkans in concerts, workshops, publications, audio and video productions.
Farima Berenji
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..
Dr. Lloyd Miller
Dr. Lloyd Miller Dr. Lloyd Miller received his PhD in Persian Language and Literature from the University of Utah after spending seven years living in Iran where he had a weekly prime time television program titled “Kurosh Ali Khan va dastan”. His program featured musicians and other artists from around the world. Lloyd was urged to leave Iran during the revolution in the late 70s, though he had never planned to leave. An expert in world music including American jazz, Lloyd has made numerous recordings. The most popular being “Oriental Jazz” first released in 1968 and recently re-released by Vinyl Me Please selling thousands of copies worldwide. A film about Lloyd’s extraordinary life, including 6 years in Europe as a jazzman and university student where he played with some of the most well-known musicians of the time, is soon to be released. Titled “” the film will be screened in Finland October 25 at the World Music Expo. It was in Paris that Lloyd met Dr. Daryush Safvat who became his lifelong mentor and who taught Lloyd the importance and significance of Persian classical music. Founder of Eastern Arts, with the blessing of Dr. Safvat, Lloyd has taught music, philosophy, history, dance and culture to thousands of students at various universities for over 40 years. Read more…
Katherine St. John
Katherine St. John Katherine St. John received a Master’s degree in dance pedagogy from Brigham Young University and a Master’s in Persian from the University of Utah and completed coursework for a PhD in dance history and theory from the University of California. Katherine has performed and choreographed for theater, dance companies, operas and at universities for 30 plus years. She was an artist in residence teaching world dance to students throughout Utah and neighboring states for 20 years. Her Master’s thesis is about dance in Herat Afghanistan from 1970-1980 during Russian interference. Read more..

Whirling and Sema Celebrating Sheb-i Arus
2020-12-16 10:00 - 11:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Join us to celebrate our fellowship in love and spirit with whirling dance (Sema), meditation, music, prayers, and poetry. Sheb-i Arus commemorates the death and thereby union between the Persian mystical poet Rumi and the universe.
Our ceremony will be shared multi-nationally online with Master Seyed Salman, Master Farima Berenji, and with live music by Dr. Lloyd Miller and other musicians.
Join us for sacred and mystical Sufi poetry (Farsi and English), meditation, whirling with live and recorded music, then closure with prayer and zikr.
We will whirl and journey together to celebrate love, unity, and allow the light to enter our soul. Open your heart! Listen! Turn, dance, and move in anyway that makes you feel alive!
$5-10 sliding scale donation. Your donation is greatly appreciated.
Our gathering is not a performance. Come and join our sacred circle. You are welcome to set and feel the healing energy and prepare a poem to share as we journey together to be closer to the light.

Guidelines and Tips

We kindly ask for no interruptions during the ceremony. We will mute all participants during the ceremony then unmute for open participation.
If you are whirling from home prepare to wear comfortable clothing, whirling skirt (optional), socks or soft-soled shoes. Avoid eating a large meal 2 hours prior.

Farima Berenji
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..
Seyed Salman Hosseini
Seyed Salman Seyed Salman Hosseini possesses a bachelor degree in music ethnology and is an Iranian traditional music researcher, composer and a master musician of tambour, setar, tar, and rebab. He directs the traditional Persian music ensemble Cherikeh which has been performing sacred and traditional music for many years. Seyed has produced many albums including Javdanegni and Tabeh Ghaleh. He is the music director and composer for films such as Song of God and Gadam Yar. Seyed has composed and performed more than 40 concerts and TV programs including composing music for national broadcasts of Iran. He has performed professionally in Iran, Germany, Syria, and the Iraqi Kurdistan region. Additionally, he is a Sufi master and has his own school of music and mysticism.
Dr. Lloyd Miller
Dr. Lloyd Miller Dr. Lloyd Miller received his PhD in Persian Language and Literature from the University of Utah after spending seven years living in Iran where he had a weekly prime time television program titled “Kurosh Ali Khan va dastan”. His program featured musicians and other artists from around the world. Lloyd was urged to leave Iran during the revolution in the late 70s, though he had never planned to leave. An expert in world music including American jazz, Lloyd has made numerous recordings. The most popular being “Oriental Jazz” first released in 1968 and recently re-released by Vinyl Me Please selling thousands of copies worldwide. A film about Lloyd’s extraordinary life, including 6 years in Europe as a jazzman and university student where he played with some of the most well-known musicians of the time, is soon to be released. Titled “” the film will be screened in Finland October 25 at the World Music Expo. It was in Paris that Lloyd met Dr. Daryush Safvat who became his lifelong mentor and who taught Lloyd the importance and significance of Persian classical music. Founder of Eastern Arts, with the blessing of Dr. Safvat, Lloyd has taught music, philosophy, history, dance and culture to thousands of students at various universities for over 40 years. Read more…

Sema Dance in Yarasan Culture
2020-12-15 21:00 - 23:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Free lecture on sacred and Sufi dance and music of Iran followed by Q/A. Presented in collaboration with the Center of Eastern Music of Iran, University of Tehran, and the Yarasan Sufi Order. Special lecturers include Dr. Lloyd Miller, Seyed Salman Hosseini, Farima Berenji, and Rouhollah Kalami. Online webinar is in Farsi and English.
Registration
To register for this free webinar send an e-mail with your name and return e-mail to emc.ir@yahoo.com.
Request Registration

Love is Calling
2020-12-04 15:00 - 2020-12-06 15:00 (Europe/Helsinki) | Beit El Hana, Maaser El Chouf, Lebanon
Farima Berenji, Sufi Dance Master, Dance Ethnologist, Choreographer and Archaeologist, comes to Lebanon for a special 3-day Sufism workshop on December 4th, hosted by The Wellness Project!
Join us in the ‘Valley of Love’, a path for healing and self-growth through the power of Embodiment, Sacred Circles, music, and stillness. In this journey, the promptings of the Inner Divine are found and love, kindness and compassion flow naturally into our daily life.
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 Persian and Sufi dance rituals – a gateway for self-growth and spiritual transformation–through prayers, whirling, music, and love.
In this workshop/retreat we will experience:

Presence and surrender to Love.
Practice of Devotional Embodiment and ancient Persian healing dance rituals.
The power of healing and love through poetry, zikr and Sufi whirling.
The power of the sharing circle and acts of kindness and love toward self and others.

The workshop/retreat will also include:

Farima’s unique 5 Element Breathing.
Basic whirling techniques for beginners (Turkish & Iranian Sema and Semah)
Gwati and Zikr (Sufi Prayer and Iranic Medicine Dance)
Nightly Sema Gathering and Sohbet (Sufi Whirling Gathering and Spiritual Talk/Lectures).

Registration
Event fees are 500,000 LBP, to be paid in cash. This excludes accommodation rates which are 450,000 LBP (inclusive of VAT and Breakfast), and an additional 245,000 LBP inclusive of F&B for the whole weekend (Lunch, Dinner, Coffee/Tea).
Payments with the hotel can be settled by cash or credit card.
Register
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…

Musical Instruments and Sema Dance in Yarasan Culture
2020-11-24 21:00 - 22:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Free lecture on sacred and Sufi music, musical instruments, and dance of Iran followed by Q/A presented
in collaboration with the Center of Eastern Music of Iran, University of Tehran, and the Yarasan Sufi Order. Special lecturers include Dr. Lloyd Miller, Seyed Salman Hosseini, Farima Berenji, Rouhollah Kalami, and Koroush Shokouhi. Online webinar from Iran in Farsi and English.
Registration
To register for this free webinar send an e-mail with your name and return e-mail to emc.ir@yahoo.com.
Request Registration
