Whirling Dervishes December 17, 2008

Experience a unique evening of Music, Poetry and Sacred Dance:
Wednesday, December 17, 2008, the Mevlevi Order of America will present the Whirling Dervish Sema Ceremony in Seattle, honoring the great Sufi Mystic Teacher and Poet, Hz. Mevlana Jelaluddin RUMI.
The Ceremony, created to offer a direct experience of the transformative path exemplified by Rumi, dissolves the separation between performer and observer. With the flowing white garments of the semazens (whirling prayer dancers) and classical Sufi music, the Sema ceremony has stirred the hearts of humanity with sacred beauty for centuries.
Beloved worldwide, the 13th century poet and mystic Rumi was the original whirling dervish. With his message of inclusion, equality and love, Rumi's great poetic masterworks have been translated all over the world, and people everywhere claim him as their own. Today, Rumi is the most widely published poet in North America.
Directed by Postneshin Jelaleddin Loras from Konya, Turkey, founder of the Mevlevi Order of America, the special Shebi-arus (Wedding Night) Sema Ceremony is presented as it has been for over 700 years on the anniversary of Rumi's final mystical Union.
In addition to Sema, special guest musicians from Turkey will play a concert of classical and devotional Turkish music, including master musicians Necati Celik, oud (fretless lute), vocalist Timucin Cevikoglu, and Celalettin Bicer, ney (reed flute), together with U.S.-based musicians Jemaluddin Henke, ney, Nureddin Crammatte, kudum (small kettle drums), Andrea Walls, violin, and Dennis Godfrey, gudulka (small fiddle).

Official Website: http://www.hayatidede.org/