Devotional Dance - Whirling Dervishes

A few days ago I went to see the Whirling Dervishes perform in Singapore. I was super excited - I love the mystic poetry of Rumi and I wanted to see how Sufi dancers interpreted it in movement. I was disappointed. And disturbed. Disappointed because the show suffered from all the common problems that a traditional dance theatre makes when it is trying to reach a modern audience. They make the mistake that the audience is dumb and not culturally aware. So they gave a 30min super boring slide show presentation about Rumi and the whirling dervishes. Excuse me - did I come for a lecture? Isn't there more imaginative ways to weave this information into the show? Why was so little thought given to the design of the show? So after 30mins of preachy narrative and bad imagery the ritual artists, musicians and dancers came onto the stage. Finally. I was ready for something deeply moving, hypnotic and transcendental. Just like some of the finest indian classical dancers that I have seen in India. There is an immediacy to the movement and to their yearning to unite with God. It crosses all linguistic and cultural barriers. But this was not my experience here. The performers seemed rather indifferent and uninspired. Low energy levels too. The entire spiritual dimension seemed to be missing. They all just looked solemn and serious. But not at the higher plane I expected them to be. I was also disturbed because it was unclear to me if this indifference to their ritual art was the result of theatre exposure. Maybe when they did it purely as a form of prayer they were far more intensely connected to the Divine. So not all ritual and ritual artists can crossover - ie carry the energy from temples or mosques to the theatre. Some had best remain in their places of worship.