Rana Gorgani, one of the few women whirling dervishes, elevates Sufi dance to the rank of spiritual art. This biography reveals the essence of this virtuoso, sometimes called the Pope of the Sufi dance, even if it is not easy to grasp the one who readily quotes Rûmî to introduce herself: "I am neither from the East nor from the West, nor from the land nor from the sea. [... ] My place is the non-place, my sign is the non-sign. I am neither body nor soul, for I belong to the Soul of souls.
The reference of Sufi art
Born in Germany to an Iranian mother and a Kurdish father, Rana grew up in France, where she still lives today. Music was her first encounter with Sufi spirituality, as she played the daf, a sacred frame drum of Kurdish origin.Sufism then became the guiding thread of her life and her source of inspiration.This relationship with spirituality is not only a matter of origins: whether through practice or intellect, Rana dedicates her life entirely to this unique path.
Although she joined a Sufi order in her adolescence, it was only in 2017 that she began bringing it to the artistic stage. As the Sufis say: "A madman does not know he is mad, a wise man does not say he is wise, and a Sufi does not say he is a Sufi."? Sufism not only shapes Rana’s thinking — it nourishes her art as well as her teaching. On stage, during her performances, Rana’s dance is an unbroken ascending spiral, a movement that seems to truly lead to the divine. In her pedagogy, spirituality is ever-present, as Sufi dance cannot be understood outside of its context. People come from all over the world to experience this authenticity.
“In Sufi dance, it is a new encounter with oneself that takes place. The whirling movement is the emancipation of the soul. This spinning motion sweeps everything away; the only thing that remains is the breath.” — Rana Gorgani
The requirement for life driver
Born in 1984, Rana studies philosophy then theater, joining the Paris Conservatory. She begins her career by teaching this art and playing in various plays.
In 2008, during a performance staged by an Iranian, his vocation imposes itself. The piece features a Persian dance and Rana then realizes that she can express that she is in the dance. She abandons everything and begins to travel to the Orient. Many years of learning follow in Iran and its surroundings, where Rana trains in Iranian and neighboring dances.
In 2009, she founded the company “l'Œil Persan”, the first company to promote traditional dances from the Persian world in Europe. Prestigious collaborations are already emerging: with the Guimet Museum for several seasons but also with the Arab World Institute and cultural actors in Brazil or New York. If the shows created have a Sufi anchorage, Rana only takes turns with modesty.
In 2014, to deepen her knowledge of dance, she begins a Master’s degree in ethnomusicology and anthropology of dance. She moves between Europe, where she continues to perform in shows, and Iran, where she carries out her research work within the Qashqa'i, one of the nomadic peoples of the country. Life among them is a new revelation: even if they are not Sufis, they live daily as required by Sufi spirituality. Rana then realizes it: everything belongs to everyone.
In 2016, with the end of her research, she makes a decision: no longer perform traditional dances. By reproducing these dances that are not hers, she has the sensation of disguising herself. If she goes on stage, it must be authentic. Only the Sufi dance allows her to dance as she breathes. Without any certainty other than that of following her heart, she strips herself of her old practices.
In 2017, her brotherhood sufies the master order. She refuses this status to honor another commitment. She will transmit this spirituality well, but through her art. This demanding choice will make it impossible for her to return to Iran. It is to Turkey that she will now go, where she joins the Mevlevi order, the brotherhood of the whirling dervishes.
In the Footsteps of Rûmî
Regular physical training, the teaching of Sufi dance and meditation, the creation of shows, the necessary time to recharge and the opening of a Sufi temple, this spiritual and artistic place unprecedented in France: Rana’s agenda is always full. The one who reads in Persian always finds time to continue studying the writings of Rûmî. All the teaching of Rana is inspired by the spiritual message of this mystical poet of the thirteenth century who deeply influenced Sufism. Rûmî invites the being to question the symbolism of love which, for him, is not a feeling but a quest. The practice of music and dance, a true spiritual path, is the way of opening the heart. Other mystical poets such as Hafez, Attar, Saadi inspire Rana’s creations.
Fruitful collaborations
Rana’s strength is to take Sufi spirituality into unexpected universes.
In 2017, she accepted the invitation of Marie-Agnès Gillot, star of the Ballet de l'Opéra, to dance at a carte blanche event in Paris.
It is a success and the beginning of many collaborations: Rana dances at the Opéra Garnier under the direction of Dimitri Chamblas for the 70th anniversary of Longchamp; she collaborates with the duo Bird on The Wire; she creates the show Trans-derviche with the group Haïdouti Orkestar; she presents lectures danced in conservatories; she works with the choreographer Mehdi Kerkouche; alongside Simon Ghraichy, she dances at the Institut de France, at the Institut du Monde Arabe, at the 1001 notes Festival...
Year after year, Rana’s art becomes unmissable. Her work is recognized by UNESCO with whom she takes part in numerous conferences and events in Greece or Canada. She shares her practice with the greatest number with the documentary Les chemins du sacré by Frédéric Lenoir for ARTE. She is regularly invited to dance and teach at many festivals in France and abroad: the On danse chez vous festival at the Théâtre National de Chaillot, the Festival des Suds in Arles, the Balbek Festival in Lebanon, the Al-Burda Festival in Dubai... By her numerous collaborations, by each of her representations and by her shared knowledge and know-how, Rana is undoubtedly the greatest ambassador of Sufi spirituality in the West.
Aurélie Croiziers de Lacvivier
