Essence Creates Form

The Dunyati Alembic is the performance wing of the Dervish Society of America, under the direction of Dunya Dianne McPherson. The performers share Dancemeditation™ as a dominant influence in their self-understanding. Performative presentations are a framing of group and personal practices, with a vision of absorption into Beauty and Mystery.
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The Alembic has been Artist-in-Residence at Kripalu Center for Yoga, and performs regularly in NYC at the Metropolitan Building's Monday Arts Night Series. It has presented at Shambhala Center and on NOLA's Dramarama Festival.

An alembic––an alchemical still––developed circa 800 AD by the Arab alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan, was an apparatus for distillation. Over time, the word alembic has taken on a metaphorical meaning referring to a vessel that refines or transmutes. Dunyati, from the name given to Dunya by her Sufi teacher, Adnan Sarhan, means 'the world, all of manifested creation' and has lead Dunya directly to her spiritually embodied Dancemeditation™ work.

The Alembic began forming into being in 2005.
The current core members are:
Dunya, Nisaa Christie, Shamsi Pettus, Stephanie Rudloe, Kate Russel, Krys Statho, and Kate Temple-West.
Its ring of orbiting dancers includes:
Elizabeth Abbene, Carleen Bevans, Anastasia Blaisdelle, Katherine Carbone, Ann Galkowski, Annabelle Keil, Gayla Reilly, Radthia Schmidt, Tess Smith, and Anita Teresa.