Dervishes through a choral rite of centuries seek to purify the human soul. Their goal is the union with the Beloved (God) and the “Shema”, the ecstatic, whirling dance is the main vehicle.
Removing their black cloaks they are left with white clothes to be reborn, starting the rotation. With hands open like wings, the palm of their right hand towards the sky - to “take the glory of God” - and of the left one towards the earth to “convey the divine glory to the material world”, the head slightly tilted to the right shoulder, rotate around themselves under the sounds of traditional religious music while moving in circles on stage.
The physical laws of the universe follow the circular path that the Dervish imitates, participating and sharing with other beings who surround him. The dance looks like the cosmic dance of the planets around the Sun, which is nothing else but the Beloved for the mystic dancers, who transmit their ecstatic experience to the audience .
Twenty members of the oldest Mevlevi Order of Dervishes will be in Athens to offer us two nights of mystagogy with their whirling dance and the sounds of seven musicians with traditional instruments like ney, bendir, kanun, kementze and unique singers.
The Galata Mevlevi Ensemble is supported by Unesco (Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization of the United Nations). It has participated in famous ethnic festivals in over 30 countries as well as several films and documentaries. Recent participation was in the French film “Mr. Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran” starring Omar Sharif and Isabelle Adjani.