Thread: Dervish Dancer performers/resources in the midwest?

I know a couple of people on the coasts...but does any one know of anyone who is performing dervish dancing and/or may be a teaching resource who is based in the upper midwest area. Egyptian style preferred.

(Yeah, I know...I'm expecting to find hundreds of them lurking in Iowa too...)

Male or female--doesn't matter.

She doesn't do dervish dancing herself, but I wonder if Stephanie Masters (index) might have a lead for you. She teaches workshops on spinning and spirituality, so I wonder if she might have some ideas? You can contact her through her website.

Or with your Milwaukee roots, maybe you even know her already?

Well, since you brought up Iowa....

John Cowan in Iowa City (with Kahraman Near East Dance Ensemble) performs the Turkish flavor of whirling dervish, complete with appropriate costume. I've seen him do it, and he's excellent.

So far as I know, John doesn't teach. The director of his dance company, Kahraman, is Maleeha, and she's probably the one who would be the likely teacher. I don't know whether she has ever dug into the Egyptian tannoura. Her web site is Welcome to Kahraman . Send me a private message if you'd like her phone number.

--Shira (also in Iowa City)