Whirling and Twirling

I can't believe I'm putting this out there, but if my little girl was brave enough to get up and try belly dancing by herself, then I can bite the bullet for this short but awkward mama dance moment.

The belly dancing was followed by a performance by a trio of whirling dervishes, a religious brotherhood of dancers who twirl themselves into a trance-like state to connect with God. They are similar to monks in Christian traditions.

I’ll call it a performance because we didn’t go to the most cultured example of this ritual, which normally would be referred to as a ceremony.  Nonetheless, it gave us a wonderful understanding of the whirling dervishes and the concentration and meditation required to do this centuries-old practice.  It's incredible how they twirl so uniformly with their eyes closed, often up to fifteen minutes without getting dizzy.

Again, great learnings for the kids and surprise wow-factor.

Reese's drawing of mama, the belly dancer.  Wish I could sport a top like that nowadays!

Abby's Whirling Dervish, captured in her memory book: