Whirling Dervishes: A spin on spirituality

This weekend the Lotus Festival will present a mix of entertainment and spirituality. The Whirling Dervishes of Rumi will whirl Bloomington at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. \nThe Dervishes are being brought to town by the Bloomington Muslim Dialog Group, an organization of Muslim individuals who wish to spread understanding and respect among people of all faiths. The BMDG also teamed up with the Niagara Foundation, a Chicago-based organization that pursues similar goals, and the Lotus Festival to bring the Whirling Dervishes of Rumi to Bloomington, BMDG President Ali Korkmaz said. \nAccording to information provided by the BMDG and the Niagara Foundation, whirling dervishes perform a 700-year-old ritual called "Sema," involving traditional music, dance and costumes. A Turkish poet and teacher named Mevlana Jalaluddin al-Rumi, known simply as Rumi, began the practice that has been observed in much the same way throughout the centuries. \nThe Whirling Dervishes' Web site explained that, "by revolving in harmony with all things in nature, the semazen testifies to the existence and the majesty of the Creator, thinks of Him, gives thanks to Him and prays to Him."\nHakan Berberoglu, a Turkish Musician, explained that this revolving ritual is comprised of two parts. During the first section of the performance, the Dervishes perform what Berberoglu called "interesting, mesmerizing" music on traditional Turkish instruments. Then, during the Sema ceremony, five dervishes come to the stage to perform the movements that comprise the spiritual worship, Berberoglu said. Each aspect of the show, including the costumes, music and minute details of movement, has a specific meaning, Korkmaz said.\nKorkmaz said that people do not have to know all of the intricate details before coming to the show. An informative pamphlet will be distributed at the door, and the first 500 people will receive a DVD describing the life of Rumi and the history of the Sema ritual, Korkmaz said. \nWhether audience members' curiosity or the reputation of the Whirling Dervishes prompts them to attend the show, Lotus Festival Director Lee Williams said he believes the performance will have a wide appeal.\n"They're well known. If you ask somebody what a whirling dervish is, even if they've never been out of the country, they'll have an image of the men with the hats and the costumes," Williams said.\nWhile the practitioners of the Sema ritual are traditionally followers of Islam, Berberoglu said the ritual is more a spiritual than a religious practice and embraces all faiths.\n"This is beyond being a Muslim. (The dancers) will always be Muslim and practice the five pillars of Islam. But this is beyond religion. They are trying to be closer to God. It doesn't matter what they are. They can be Christian, Jewish, whatever," Berberoglu said.\nKorkmaz, too, emphasized the universal appeal of the Whirling Dervishes of Rumi.\n"Everybody thinks about how to achieve inner peace and get closer to God. Everybody sees it from a different perspective," Korkmaz said.\nFor further information, visit The Bloomington Muslim Dialog Group at http://www.bmdg.org , the Lotus Festival at http://www.lotusfest.org or The Whirling Dervishes of Rumi at http://www.sufinight.com.\n-- Contact staff writer Melissa Harrold at mejharro@indiana.edu.