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A new spin on cultural harmony

Turkish dancers bring a mesmerizing homeland ritual to Prague

By Brooke Edge
For The Prague Post
March 21st, 2007 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
The sema is a form of prayer to the followers of Rumi, who sought spirituality through music, poetry and dance.
The image is immediately familiar: Iconic men in tall white hats, with long white robes creating a bell as they turn endlessly. But who are they, and what exactly are they doing? And more to the point, why would anyone spend an evening watching them perform?
Prague audiences will have a chance to find out next week, when the Mozaika Platform–Dialog Foundation presents “Whirling Dervishes: Dance of Love.” That’s the correct name for those white-clad spinning guys, and what they’re doing is actually a form of prayer called a sema.
Whirling Dervishes

When: Monday, March 26, at 7:30
Where: Obecní dům
Tickets: 250–700 Kč through Ticketpro and at the venue

The traditional religious dance is “one of the wonders of Turkey,” says Mozaika’s secretary-general, Huseyin Ozorencik. For
followers of the 13th-century Persian spiritual leader and poet Rumi, it’s a physical interpretation of his teachings, practiced as an integral part of their worship rituals.
Essentially, Rumi preached unity with God and serving humanity without discrimination. He fervently believed in using music, poetry and dance to become closer to God, focusing intensely on art to spark inspiration within the soul.
The Whirling Dervishes’ ritual developed as a dynamic and inspiring way to manifest Rumi’s commandments. The sema represents a spiritual journey of man, transcending worldly concerns through love to attain complete perfection, and applying that higher state for the improvement of mankind. This is evidenced through spinning, or “whirling.”
The sema promotes love, compassion and collaboration, Ozorencik says, making it an ideal representation of Mozaika’s mission to encourage dialogue between Eastern and Western communities in Prague. Rumi is a guiding force for the organization.
As it happens, 2007 is also International Rumi Year, proclaimed by UNESCO to celebrate the spiritual leader’s 800th birthday. Mozaika partnered with UNESCO to bring a Whirling Dervish performance to the Czech Republic as part of a yearlong tribute. Other events planned by Mozaika for International Rumi Year include lectures by visiting academics and additional cultural performances.
“Prague is the place where cultures meet — you find many different nations living here,” says Mustafa Duyar, chairman of Mozaika. “We would like to find ground where we can discuss with one another. It’s OK to disagree, but we must respect each other.”
Both Duyar and Ozorencik are Turkish and keenly aware of the communication difficulties between their native land and their adopted home. With heated debates over Turkey joining the European Union and an all-too-prevalent negative perception of Muslims after 9-11, addressing differences in ideology has become even more essential. Their organization hopes to make opportunities for getting to know and empathize with people from other cultures readily available.
“By seeing others, you can understand yourself better,” Ozorencik says, which is something all expats in Prague can appreciate, regardless of their country of origin. “By keeping our colors and coming together, we can create one big mosaic.”
Previous events hosted by Mozaika since its founding in 2005 include speeches, lectures and discussions by local and international foreign relations and Eastern-studies experts.  The Whirling Dervishes will be what Ozorencik and Duyar refer to as their organization’s first “culture and identity event.”
The program at Obecní dům will include speeches about Rumi’s teachings by professors from Charles University, and a concert of Turkish music. All the speeches will be in Czech, but translated versions will be printed and given to English-speaking audience members. The sema will be performed — for the first time in Prague, according to Mustafa — by seven dancers from Konya, the Turkish city where Rumi lived and died.
At the end of the night, Mozaika will hold a prize drawing. The winner will accompany members of Mozaika to Turkey in mid-December for the Urs of Melvana, the annual celebration to commemorate Rumi’s death, in an effort to not only bring Eastern culture to Prague, but also bring some of Prague to the East.

Brooke Edge can be reached at features@praguepost.com


Other articles in Night & Day (21/03/2007):

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