Gregangelo & Velocity Arts & Entertainment Blog: I am a Whirling Dervish

Monday, February 4, 2013

I am a Whirling Dervish

Photo: Gregangelo- Whirling Dervish at the Palace of Fine Arts San Francisco

From the tiniest subatomic particles, to the most majestic of spiraling galaxies, all material elements of nature revolve. It is the first, and will be the last story told by the universe...

Since the time of Ancient Egypt, mystic men – members of secret societies, harnessed this knowledge by ceremoniously whirling, imitating the spiraling structure of life and the cosmos. By spinning into a state of blissful euphoria, they transcended the physical limitations of gravity, their consciousness peaked, their bodies bridged earthly and heavenly (or eternal ) spheres.
This ceremony of whirling resurfaced in 13th century Turkey where it was performed by dervishes, members of the mystic brotherhoods, who were often philosophers, poets and astronomers.
Combining these ancient concepts with his own interpretation, Gregangelo has been performing his uniquely mystical adaptation of the whirling dervish for over two decades, dazzling and intriguing secular-audiences worldwide. His spectacular costumes represent the omnipresent realm of the cosmos and eternity. As he sheds layer by layer, the story morphs from the infinite expanse of the Universe to our galaxy, to our solar system, to Earth and finally to the individual.
More Whirling Dervish photos :
http://gregangelo.com/entertainment/characters/dervish/