Online Performance and Fundraiser
2020-05-02 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Enjoy an online program of Silk Road dance and music performances by the Simorgh Dance Collective without leaving your home. Featuring Farima Berenji, Rashid Shadat, Mona Gafari, Homeyra Banejad, Nariman Assadi and the Simorgh Dance Collective.
Register with Eventbrite to receive the live video streaming link. When you register you have the opportunity to help support the Simorgh Dance Collective, all artists, and the arts by making a donation of $1 or more.
You also have the choice of making a donation through our non-profit fiscal sponsor.
Register

Confidence on Stage!
2020-05-16 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Whether you are an actor or dancer this workshop will help you identify how to improve your performance on the stage. Stage presence refers to the ability to command the full attention of a theater audience by the impressiveness of one’s performance. When combined with skill, experience and hard work, stage presence can create a combination that turns “good” actors into stars. Learn in this workshop

How to be confident on stage
Use movements to tell a story
The secrets to improve stage presence
Rules of the stage

Presented by award winning veteran Iranian director and actor Sadeh Hatefi. Assisted by internationally renowned dancer and dance scholar Farima Berenji.
Suggested donation: $1-15
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Sadegh Hatefi
Sadegh Hatefi Sadegh Hatefi is a director, screenwriter, author, and award-winning actor, known for Ghodrat (2007), Simorgh (1987) and Battle of Oil Tankers (1994). He has been director of the films and theatrical productions Story of Rumi and Shams, Simorgh, and Muhammad: The Messenger of God.

Farima Berenji
Farima Berenji Farima Berenji is an Iranian-born scholar and an award winning, internationally acclaimed performing artist, choreographer, instructor, lecturer, dance ethnologist, 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. Farima performs, offers workshops, and lectures worldwide upon request and has appeared in the US, UK, Austria, Czech Republic, Turkey, Mauritius, and Iran. Read more..

Connecting with Sacred Dance
2020-05-17 12:30 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
A lecture with Farima Berenji.
Internationally acclaimed dance artist, choreographer, and scholar Farima Berenji is passionate when she speaks of the role dance has played in her life. At her core, she believes dance rituals invoke healing and harmony. This was the legacy of these dances but over time, people have lost connection to them. She feels strongly that bringing these ancient rituals back to life will help bring positive change to our lives.
Please register and make a donation of between $1 – 10 to help cover our costs. There are also alternate ways to make a donation. A Zoom webinar link will be provided after registration.
Register
Farima Berenji
is an award winning, internationally acclaimed performing artist, instructor, and dance ethnologist. She is honored to be the first Iranian woman to direct a Persian dance company to perform during a reception for President Obama. Farima is founder and artistic director of the Simorgh Dance Collective, a member of the International Dance Council (CID-UNESCO), National Folk Organization, and a 2018 TEDx lecturer.

POSTPONED - Caravan of Mystics: Roots of Mysticism
2020-05-24 - 2020-05-28 | Iran, Iran, Islamic Republic of
Date to be announced – IRAN (Tehran and Kermanshah only)
With Yarsan Sufi Order and Masters: Farima Berenji, Seyed Salman Hosseni, Mehrdad Maleki, and Seyed Vessal Hosseni.
Discover the roots of mysticism! This unique travel experience and opportunity focuses on the history, mysticism, art, music, and dance traditions of the Yarsan Sufi Order.
Retreat/Tour includes: In-depth studies of the origin/roots of mysticism and Sufism, ancient Iranic rituals, zikr, poetry, sema and semah, (Shams Sema, Rast Sema, Yarsan Sema), and Yarsan culture and music (Daf, Tanbour). Includes a visit to the tomb of Seyed Khalil, Baba Yadeghar, Temple of Mitra (Sun Goddess), Temple of Anahita (The Virgin Goddess of Creation), Sacred Mountains of the Saints, Yarsan village, and more.
We will be staying at the Sufi Houses, Dervish Homes, and Small villages. Tour will not include luxury Hotel accommodation. This is a Sufi/Dervish Caravan.
Registration required. Contact me for more info and registration.
Payment Includes

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Daily refreshments and snacks (tea, coffee, and water are always at your  disposal)
Private transport
Entrance fee of the monuments based on itinerary
Workshops and lectures

Payment Does NOT Include

Visa fees (based on your departure country)
Airfare
Personal transportation or taxi fees
Personal expenses or extra stay
Personal sightseeing
Extra food and drink not included in the menu list

Visa
All U.S. and Canadian citizens must apply for visa at least 1.5 months before the start of the tour. All other nationalities, please contact your local embassy to see if a visa is required. For visa requirements please visit evisa.mfa.ir to apply.

Includes $11.90 transaction fee
Payment and Rules
New dates to be announced
$400 – Early-bird price prior April 15, 2020
$500 – After April 15, 2020

POSTPONED - Caravan of Mystics: Origin of Mysticism
2020-06-01 - 2020-06-05 | Badem Han Retreat Center, Çeltik Köyü İç Yolu, 22880, Çeltik, Edirne, Turkey
The Origin of Mysticism
Date to be announced – TURKEY (Bademhan Sufi House and Retreat Center and Çanakkale)
With Yarsan and Khorasan Sufi Order and Masters: Farima Berenji, Seyed Salman Hosseni, Mehrdad Maleki, and Seyed Vessal Hosseni.
Learn the ancient wisdoms, dances, whirling and healing ritual practices of the Anatolian and Khorasan Sufi mystics. Our journey will be an experience like no other.
Retreat/Tour includes: In-depth studies of the origin/roots of mysticism and Sufism from Khorasan to Konya, ancient Iranic rituals, zikr, poetry, sema and semah of Iran, Central Asia and Greater Khorasan, and Yarsan practices. Music workshops and makhams (Daf and Tanbour). Sufi tour visiting tomb of Rustam Baba the Warrior Dervish, Solitude Cave, Gelibolu Mevlevihaneh (biggest and oldest Sufi House in Turkey. Registration is required. Contact me for more info and registration.
Our setting is the beautiful Bademhan Retreat Center, located in a small village in Edirne, Turkey.
Payment and Rules
To be announced
Payment Includes

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Daily refreshments and snacks (tea, coffee, and water are always at your  disposal)
Private transport
Entrance fee of the monuments based on itinerary
Workshops and lectures

Payment Does NOT Include

Visa fees (based on your departure country)
Airfare
Personal transportation or taxi fees
Personal expenses or extra stay
Personal sightseeing
Extra food and drink not included in the menu list

A Call to Love – 24 hr. Sema Gathering
Date to be announced – TURKEY (Bademhan Sufi House or Gelibolu Mevlevihaneh)
A weekend 24hours of sema in one of the biggest and oldest mevlevihane (Sufi House) in Turkey. This is a FREE event from the heart. Registration is required. No one will be admitted without registration. Contact me for more info and registration.

The Art of Improvisation
2020-06-27 12:00 - 14:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Master the art of improvisation in Persian dance in this home dance workshop with Farima Berenji.
Farima Berenji, an award-winning international dance artist and scholar of Persian dance, will share secrets for effective improvisation in Persian dance to different styles of music for

A single dancer, in couples, or in groups
As a solo performer, dancing with a partner, or in a group
To different music rhythms and tempos

Classical Persian poetry and dance is delicate, intricate, subtle, and full of meaning. Classical dance movements often reflect the swirling of a birds, mystical creatures, beautiful gesture and feelings, and dazzling spins. Delicate hand movements, gentle upper body undulations, and facial expressions are the essential elements of this dance. The dance emphasizes feeling, rather than movement. The dancer tells a story, teases the audience with her coquettish glances, or can displays a variety of expressions: reluctance, joy, sensuality, pride, laughter.
In Persian classical dance, each dancer develops her own style and improvises within a recognizably Persian framework of movements. Persian women begin to learn to dance within their family when they are small. A third generation dancer in her Iranian family, Farima shares her secrets for effective dance improvisation in this two hour dance workshop online.
Register

Whirling Workshop Series 3: Silent Whirling
2020-07-08 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Silent Whirling: Sema and Dancing to the Rhythm and Melody of the Heart
Whirling in silence, solely to the rhythm of one’s heart, enables us to focus on finding calm and peace within moving meditation. Although circumstances vary, those who practice silent whirling meditation within a group are often more likely to experience and share a wide range of emotions. In this class, you will learn to find peace in silence.
Register Online
For more information, call the Montalvo Box Office at 408-961-5858 10am-4pm Mon-Fri.
About the instructor, Farima Berenji
Farima Berenji is an award-winning, internationally acclaimed performing artist, instructor, dance ethnologist, and choreographer. Recognized as one of few world experts and scholars of Persian dance history, Farima infuses spirituality into her dance and teachings to impassion, empower, and inspire. Specializing in ancient, sacred, classical, and folkloric dances, she travels worldwide to research, perform, teach, and inspire dynamic creativity and rejuvenation through dance. Farima is founder and artistic director of the Simorgh Dance Collective, a member of the International Dance Council (CID-UNESCO), and a 2018 TEDx lecturer and performer. Read more…

Haft Dastgah, Haft Gham: Music and Dances of the Seven Persian Dastgahs
2020-07-11 11:30 - 2020-08-22 12:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Poetry in Music and Motion for a Millennium
An online workshop for musicians and dancers with Persian dance scholar Farima Berenji and music scholars Dr. Lloyd Miller and Nariman Assad.
A dastgah is one of the basic melody types of traditional Persian music as identified by music masters originating from the nineteenth century. It is a melody type that serves as the basis for a performer’s extemporized pieces. Each dastgah has come to identify a mood, color, poetry, song, movement, dance style, and recognizable beauty in classical Persian dance.
Learn the character and history of each of the seven classical Persian dastgahs. Includes lectures and music and dance improvisation workshops for a program of seven classes over seven weeks. The program culminates in a student performance presented online.
Registration
Meets Saturdays for 7 weeks, July 11 – Aug. 22.
$150 for full 7 week course, $25 per class otherwise.
Simorgh Dance Company members are eligible for a discount.
Register
Farima Berenj
Farima Berenji Farima Berenji is an Iranian-born scholar and an award winning, internationally acclaimed performing artist, choreographer, instructor, lecturer, dance ethnologist, 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. Farima performs, offers workshops, and lectures worldwide upon request and has appeared in the US, UK, Austria, Czech Republic, Turkey, Mauritius, and Iran. 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…
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 also teaches daf, tombak, and music for children.

Dance of the Soul Workshop
2020-07-27 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, 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 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 $35
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.

Prayers and Whirling for Beruit
2020-08-06 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | San Jose, CA, San Jose, CA, United States
Join us for a prayer session and meditative whirling in memory of the casualties and widespread devastation caused by an unbelievable explosion Tuesday at the Port of Beruit. Together we wish the people of Beruit healing in the face of this tremendous tragedy, to all those who have been wounded or have had homes, offices, and property destroyed.
If you wish to help the injured or affected please make a donation to
Lebanese Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org.lb/SubPage.aspx?pageid=1370&PID=158
Lebanese Crisis NGO
https://lebanoncrisis.carrd.co/#donate

Witches and Demons of Ancient Persia
2020-09-05 10:30 - 11:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
In ancient Persia, much of Persian mythology is based on the idea of a good or positive force battling an evil force for control of humankind. This universal struggle between the forces of good and evil was the central vision of Persian religion. In this lecture by Farima Berenji

Learn how ancient Persian gods were related to their demons
Listen to tales of witches that possessed mortals.
Learn some of the names of the arch demons in Persian mythology, their powers, and vices.
Learn some of the names of the witches and sorcerers in ancient Persia and their powers.

Join an hour of folk tales and stories of ancient Persian mythology and occult with scholar Farima Berenji.
Register
Farima Berenj
Farima Berenji Farima Berenji is an Iranian-born scholar and an award winning, internationally acclaimed performing artist, choreographer, instructor, lecturer, dance ethnologist, 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. Farima performs, offers workshops, and lectures worldwide upon request and has appeared in the US, UK, Austria, Czech Republic, Turkey, Mauritius, and Iran. Read more..

Poetry in Motion
2020-09-12 10:30 - 12:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Where Movement Becomes Devotion
“Everything in Persian dance is poetry. Every movement describes a story, a feeling. The dancer takes the audience into a world of fairy tales.”~ Farima Berenji
Poetry in Motion is interpretive, improvisational, and devotional dance form popularized by Farima Berenji that is inspired by mystical and classical Persian poetry. It originates from her research and life long experience in Persian sacred and classical dance.
Persian poetry contains spiritual messages representing the Divine essence. The words in Persian poetry speak to us, revealing the emotion of our soul. Persian poetry is rhythmic—it has an essence of melody, which guides us to dance. The great Persian poets extolled dance in their poems to symbolize the power of life. Hafiz, Saadi, Omar Khayyam, Attar, and Rumi each represented dance in their verses as a spiritual instrument to become one with the Divine.
Includes live music and lecture by Persian musician Nariman Assadi.
In this two hour workshop we will

Discover Persian poetry mysticism and some of the fundamental Sufi poets of Iran and their perspectives on the divine love.
Learn to bring the graceful words and symbols of Persian poetry to life.
Move, write, and practice to various Persian poetry and poetic styles (working individually and as a group).
Learn to use imagery from the verses of poetry for improvisation.
Learn techniques to recite Persian Poetry, find hidden messages, and use it as guidance and healing.
Create devotional dances and whirl to the sacred words of Persian Poetry (both in Farsi and English).
Sing, chant, and dance either indoors or outdoors, and whirl into ecstasy by listening to beautiful live music and poetry.

Be sure to bring inspiring poetry, prose, or quotations to read and be ready to dance with others. Farima will help demonstrate movements, illustrate technique, and lead us in recitation of Persian poetry and Poetry in Motion.
Poetry in Motion is Farima’s signature workshop that matches Persian and Near Eastern sacred and mystical dance to poetry as a gateway for self-growth and spiritual transformation through movement, music, and moving meditation.
Registration
By online video conferencing. Register for video link.
Register
Farima Berenj
Farima Berenji Farima Berenji is an Iranian-born scholar and an award winning, internationally acclaimed performing artist, choreographer, instructor, lecturer, dance ethnologist, 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. Farima performs, offers workshops, and lectures worldwide upon request and has appeared in the US, UK, Austria, Czech Republic, Turkey, Mauritius, and Iran. 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 also teaches daf, tombak, and music for children. Read more..

Persian Folktales and Fables
2020-10-03 10:30 - 11:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Enjoy amazing folk stories from Persia in this one hour lecture by scholar Farima Berenji. Hear of the ancient stories that inspired and have been adapted many times throughout history to become classic tales as well as Disney films such as
• Rapunzel
• Sword in the Stone
• Romeo and Juliet
• The Game of Thrones epic by HBO
• 1001 Nights
• Tristan and Isolde
and more. Enjoy a retelling of these fascinating folk stories and fables from the history and folklore of Persia and its iconic land.
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…

Huston Mehregan Celebration
2020-10-04 11:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago) | Online – Huston, Huston, TX
A special virtual gathering (Zoom Conference) to celebrate Mehregan and conduct the ICF annual general assembly. The gathering features invited celebrities including Dr. Abbas Kheirabadi and Dr. Alireza Ghiamati of Mashad University, Ms. Ziba Shirazi and Ms. Farima Berenji.
Attendance is open and free for the general public. Hosted by patrons of Houston Poetry Night and members of ICF Houston.

Mehregan Celebration 2020
2020-10-04 11:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | CA
Mehregan is the Persian festival of autumn, one of the most ancient Iranian festivals known, when the community gathers together for prayers of thanksgiving and blessings. On Mehregan, friends and family gather to celebrate the beginning of fall and its colors.
Hosted by the Roya Foundation, the 2020 Mehregan Celebration is held entirely online with music, dance performances, and lectures. Includes prizes and auction by Gallery Eshah. Farima and the Simorgh Dance Collective will perform.
View Program

Roya Foundation
The Roya Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides humanitarian, educational assistance, and medical aid to disadvantaged children. Provide aid in the expansion of schools, orphanages, and hospitals towards the betterment of the lives of children globally. Their mission is to help provide the children with a well-equipped, safe, and nurturing educational environment enabling them to thrive as healthy and productive adults. Read more…

International Festival Davis
2020-10-04 17:00 - 20:00 (Africa/Abidjan) | Online
For 10 years, International House Davis has celebrated culture and community with I-Fest. On Sunday, October 4th from 5-8 pm, International House Davis will be broadcast a dynamic show of over 20 performances for at-home viewing. I-Fest will also feature the new Culture Commons, an online directory of local cultural groups. Read more…
Includes a performance by Farima Berenji, Narimann Assadi, and others.
View

Vahishta: The Calling of the Angels
2020-11-07 11:00 - 12:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Online
Vahishta is a multinational performance of traditional dance and music, acting, song, poetry, and art with artists from and representing countries of Iran, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, England, Italy, and the United States.
Vahishta comes from the word “Asha Vahishta” (the creators of the cosmos). Their name means “immortal spirits”. They are angels of Devotion, Truth/Righteousness, Wholeness, Good Purpose, and are the protectors of humanity. When humanity calls, the Vahishtas unify their power and enter a human body so that they can contribute to the fight against evil in a physical form. Only the pure of heart can call the Vahishta!
Each performer possesses a talent that will embody the pure essence of their Angel/Vahishta. It is believed that this essence contains great power, this can ignite each human being watching to create personal change. Collectively we can use this energy to create global change and unify the Earth.
It has been more than 7000 years since the Vahishtas have been summoned. In the Book of Avesta (The Zoroastrian Holy Book) it is stated that a time will come that Ahriman (The Dark Lord) will rise to power creating war, destruction, disease, hatred, and drought. Thus the battle between Good and Evil will begin.
The time is now to defeat the Dark Lord and evil that threatens to consume the planet. We are the Vahishtas!
Tickets
Online Event via Zoom with live and recorded performances: $20
Tickets
Performers
Our performing angels include Maliheh Shirvanian, Paria Parvizi, Roger Azar, Jeffrey Ames, Yasaman Ahmadbadi, Laaya Hamsi, Kiana Gholamy, Alisha, Maryam, and…
Farima Berenji
Farima Berenji Farima Berenji is an Iranian-born scholar and an award winning, internationally acclaimed performing artist, choreographer, instructor, lecturer, dance ethnologist, 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. Farima performs, offers workshops, and lectures worldwide upon request and has appeared in the US, UK, Austria, Czech Republic, Turkey, Mauritius, and Iran. 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.
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!

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

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…

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

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…

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..

Dance of the Soul: An Introduction to Sufi Whirling
2021-01-06 19:00 - 21:00, 2021-04-22 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.

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…

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!

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

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..

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

ReBirth
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
