Poetry, Dance, And Rumi Make For 'A Night of Love'

By Melissa Wiley in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 11, 2013 4:20PM

Rumi was one erotic poet. True, his beloved—life’s divine substratum itself—may have been technically disembodied, but his longing continues to speak poignantly to those bound by more animal desires. Last Saturday, Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble and the Guild Literary Complex combined interpretive forces to present “A Night of Love,” an evening of painting, poetry, and performance at Fulton Street Collective that distilled the Sufi mystic’s vision into art honoring the mysteries of human touch.

Local poets celebrated love found on the CTA and lost at the Gay Pride Parade, while Lizzie’s Bake Shoppe supplied audience members with bite-sized aphrodisiacs. Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble founder Elizabeth Adler opened the evening with a preview ballet performance of the forthcoming “Touch & Mirrors,” a further exploration through movement of Rumi’s legacy beyond the Whirling Dervishes and one that her company will present May 16-26 at Defibrillator Gallery. You can purchase your seats by calling (773) 486-8261 or emailing info@danzetheatre.org. You can also, just for kicks, read this:

Let the lover be disgraceful, crazy,
absentminded. Someone sober
will worry about things going badly.
Let the lover be. —Rumi