Reflections from the previous performance of Whirling Dervishes in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Dance Preview: Dervihes’ whirling is an act of devotion
Monday, September 27, 2004
By Kristine Sorensen
The Sema ritual “represents the human being’s ascent to heaven, his spiritual journey,” says Adem Baskaya, who teaches the dance in New Jersey and has performed with this group.
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Pittsburgh Tribune Review
By William Loeffler
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
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“We whirl 30 to 40 minutes during the Sema. We whirl on our left foot with the aid of the right foot driving the spinning. While whirling, arms are open; the right arm is directed to the sky.
“The Sema ritual represents the human being’s ascent into heaven, his spiritual journey: his turning toward the truth, his growth through love, his desertion of the self as a way of losing himself in God, and then his return to being a human being once more.”
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