Digital Dervish is a story about a Dervish who is in a dream and wakes up to birds and the sounds of nature- he begins to meditate and perform his Sema. He becomes enveloped in a storm of chaos as he whirls wildly and then collapses where he becomes dormant again until he eventually rises to embrace the mayhem. This is a story about landscape, earth, love and life that encompasses music, imagery and physical movement.
| Year | : | 2022 |
| Music Composer, Wearable Tech Designer and Choreographer | : | Hedy Hurban |
| Filmmaker and Production Designer | : | Kaz Rahman |
| Dervish Performer | : | Mayez Rahman |
| Dervish | : | Seyit Sercan Celik |
| Flamenco Dancer | : | Mercedes Romero |
| Flamenco Dancer | : | Carolina Loyola-Garcia |
| Flamenco Dancer | : | Pepa Sanz |
| Visual Effects Editor | : | Baris Celik |
Digital Dervish is a story about a Dervish who is in a dream and wakes up to birds and the sounds of nature- he begins to meditate and perform his Sema. He becomes enveloped in a storm of chaos as he whirls wildly and then collapses where he becomes dormant again until he eventually rises to embrace the mayhem. This is a story about landscape, earth, love and life that encompasses music, imagery and physical movement.
| Year | : | 2022 |
| Music Composer, Wearable Tech Designer and Choreographer | : | Hedy Hurban |
| Filmmaker and Production Designer | : | Kaz Rahman |
| Dervish Performer | : | Mayez Rahman |
| Dervish | : | Seyit Sercan Celik |
| Flamenco Dancer | : | Mercedes Romero |
| Flamenco Dancer | : | Carolina Loyola-Garcia |
| Flamenco Dancer | : | Pepa Sanz |
| Visual Effects Editor | : | Baris Celik |
Digital Dervish is a performance art project that was inspired by live performances of Mevlevi Dervishes and their sacred turning practice called sema in Istanbul, Turkey. The sema of the Dervish blurs the lines between dance and meditation. This ritual turning practice of the Mevlevi Sufi Order dates back to the 13th century to Muhammed Celaleddin better known as Mevlana. Digital Dervish augments traditional movements that are specific to how a Dervish turns with sound and tactile vibrations- long established actions which are key features of the practice can be emphasised by attributing specific sounds to movements. Digital Dervish can also collaborate with other global performance styles that may have attributes and similarities such as motion and movement based on symbolism and metaphysical meaning. One current version of the performance work is linking Spanish Flamenco dance with the Dervish to create new movements, styles and ideas. The gestures which are specific to these dance traditions are being highlighted and augmented with an original wearable device called a Sound Drop.
“The stunning musical score was the narrative and backbone of the show. The lyrical animated film, colours and moving imagery drew the audience in and acted like a chorus, evoking emotional reactions in us.”
~Sarazee, Peterborough, Canada -Firoza
“My experience throughout the production was of an inner quiet induced by the centring, balanced rotational movement expressed via the Dervish, the Flamenco dancer, the mirror visuals and Hedy’s soundtrack with its repetitive motifs.”
~Archer Endrich, Plymouth, UK -Firoza
“The work made me breathe and relax. As ambitious as the ranging content and subject of the work may be, there was a patient humility. The work was elegantly not trying, not forcing, not pushing – it was loose and free.”
~Alex Stern, Knoxville, USA- Firoza
Dervish sits in quiet meditation. The destruction of a mosque envelopes him as a reminder of how the practice of whirling was repressed. The seasons carry him as he is somber and caught in a pool of memories… darkness and uncertainty encroach. He wades slowly through a dream filled with a longing to reach towards the Divine Creator. Premonitions are mixed with remembrances… he begins to perform sema and thinks of his youth when a Flamenco dancer came to him. His movements become more aggressive and powerful as he whirls uncontrollably through his passage until he reaches a peak and then fades into darkness along with all the hovering reflections.
Dervish is again in a dream state in an abstract world and wakes up to birds and the sounds of nature- he begins to meditate and perform his sema. He becomes enveloped in a storm of chaos as he whirls wildly and then collapses where he becomes dormant again. A Flamenco dancer notices and begins to move in similar patterns attempting to awaken him. They exchange their sounds and movements until they become intertwined in whirling. The Dervish seems to ‘remember’ the flamenco dancer as they both have a positive encounter. This is a story about landscape, earth, love, and life that encompasses music, imagery, and physical movement. The movements and gestures which are specific to these dance traditions are being highlighted and augmented with an original wearable device called the soundrop.
Theatre of Digital Art Dubai, UAE, December 2022
Market Hall Theatre, Peterborough, Canada, September 2022
Market Hall Theatre, Plymouth, UK, May 2022
Digital Dervish + Flamenco Sonic at Plymouth Dome, ITV West Country, May 5th Broadcast at 6pm
Artists In Conversation: Hedy Hurban and Kaz Rahman, Public Energy
Digital Dervish + Flamenco Sonic, What’s On, University of Plymouth
Digital Dervish & Flamenco Sonic – A Multimedia Performance Work by Hedy Hurban, Made In Plymouth
Digital Dervish & Flamenco Sonic, i-DAT
IDEATE 5K GRANT from Creative UK, i-DAT
Whirling Dervishes Intertwine with Flamenco Dancers to Cross Centuries, Cultures and Technology in Unique Multimedia Performance, Press Release, Real Ideas
Whirling dervish and flamenco dancer bring cultural performance to Plymouth, Plymouth Herald Online
Digital Dervish + Flamenco Sonic at Plymouth Dome, ITV West Country, May 5th Broadcast at 6pm
Review of Digital Dervish + Flamenco Sonic, by Archer Endrich
A Whirling Dervish and Flamenco Dancer Meet in Unique Multimedia Dance Performance at Peterborough’s Market Hall, kawarthanow.com
Film by Kaz Rahman Premieres in Canada, School of Art, College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tennessee Knoxville
Artists In Conversation: Hedy Hurban and Kaz Rahman, Public Energy
Dervish is Awakened…, Digital Dervish + Flamenco Sonic at Market Hall, Peterborough, Canada review by Sarazee Sept 12th, 2022
Kaz Rahman Celebrates Success of Performances in Dubai – Digital Dervish + Flamenco Sonic: Dream Chamber in Dubai December 16-17 2022, School of Art, College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tennessee Knoxville
DE_CONSTRUCTIV GARDEN TALES Recent Video Works by Kaz Rahman A Review by Alex Stern on Firoza
DE_CONSTRUCTIV GARDEN TALES Recent Video Works by Kaz Rahman The University of Tennessee School of Art Website
Flâneuring in the De_Constructiv Garden by Heather Coker Hawkins A Review by Heather Coker Hawkins on Firoza
<terminal> Austin Peay University, Clarksville TN, USA (2025)
A + A Gallery 103, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA (2022)
