His dynamic and metamophic dervich dance transforms traditional Sufi dramatically, suggesting the possibility of pure joy as a ritual, without the limitations of existings belief systems. His work explores the dervich at a high speed, tension and excitement. It creates a space for the viewer discovers and experiences these atmospheres. Throught these actions, Ziya Azazi seeks the momemt of realization when the dervich began to enjoy its realization throught the joyful and ecstatic repetition of rotation : the loop and swirl lead to trance.
EMBER: TRAPPED IN FIRE
As most of the choreographical work of Ziya Azazi, Ember: Trapped in Fire is a work in progress based on repetition and experimental whirling. It is particularly concerned with self destruction, the pain of the awareness of mortality, and inevitable ending within the continuous cycle of existence. The piece represents the lifelong battle with individual boundaries, depicting life as an irreversible circle, an unavoidable trap. Ember, by consisting fire, intensifies the complexity of witnessing the dualities of living: joy and pain, beginning and end, presence and absence, life and death…
DERVISH IN PROGRESS
This solo is a contemporary interpretation of traditional Sufi dances, reflecting Ziya Azazi?s personal, artistic, conceptual and motional analysis. It represents the moment of an imaginary dervish when s/he starts to enjoy his/her achievement through the joyful and ecstatic repetition of whirling: the looping of spinning which lead to trance. The three skirt costumes intensify this joy with their illuminated and diverse colours and forms. This dynamic, metamorphic solo transforms the classical Sufi dance into a spectacular form as it suggest possibilities for joy to become ritual, without needing boundaries of existing belief systems.