On December 8, 2007, we visited the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts in Pittsfield, MA, to see the art exhibit and Whirling dervish performance in commemoration of the 800th birthday of Jellaluddin Rumi, the great Sufi poet. "For over 800 years a traditional performance named sema, commonly known as whirling dervishes, has been performed as a ritual to bring peace and blessings from the heavens to the earth."