Whirling in Cairo (Photo: Emily O'Dell)
The Lover is ever drunk with Love.
He is mad,
she is free.
He sings with delight,
she dances with ecstasy.
Caught by our own thoughts,
we worry about everything.
But once we get drunk on that Love
whatever will be, will be.
— Rumi
When you think of whirling dervishes, do you think of Turkey? How about Egypt? Over a decade ago, I began my whirling training in Egypt–not Turkey. The whirling ceremony of the Mevlevi Order (of Rumi) is quite different from the practice of whirling in Egypt–which is called “tanoura.” In Egypt, the attire for tanoura is full of color, whereas the sema ceremony of Rumi requires a white dress.
To watch tanoura, click on the tourist video from Dubai below–around the 2:00 mark is where things start to get pretty crazy with the skirt (the umbrellas are an innovation that I’ve never seen in person). Tanoura is very difficult–it looks fluid and beautiful, but all whirling is really an ascetic practice. The skirt of the performer below is weighted, and it takes remarkable practice to not get sick or lose one’s balance. So, while I don’t want to say ‘don’t try this at home’ since whirling has many benefits to bestow, try a slow (tai chi speed) version if you feel compelled to give it a whirl…
