Presentation: Companions of the Sun

with Dr. Farima Berenji
Tuesday, 9/16/2025
6:00 - 7:30
North Beach Library Community Room
North Beach

850 Columbus Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94133
United States

415-355-5626

Learn about the history and mystery of Iranian/Persian sacred dances, music, and rituals; then watch a beautiful dance performance, followed by the option to participate in a group dance. 

Rooted in one of the world’s oldest civilizations, the traditions of Iranian/Persian sacred dance and music embody the profound wisdom of our ancestors. Observing nature, the stars, and the rhythms of life, they crafted movements expressing love, strength, and spiritual transcendence. These rituals continue to inspire cultures worldwide, preserving a legacy of mysticism and artistic expression. Author Dr. Farima Berenji presents her research upon the evolutionary origins and practice of Iranian rituals, beliefs, and dances, exploring how Iranian culture permeated global music and dance traditions, developing distinctly from its sister nations. All this is explored in her soon-to-be released book Companions of the Sun (Hohm Press, October 2025).

Dr. Farima Berenji is a distinguished world-renowned scholar with an MA in Anthropology, Archaeology, and an additional MA in Ethnochoreology. Her academic journey is marked by the achievement of an M.Msc. and a PhD in Metaphysics specializing in Iranian mysticism and rituals, and a postdoctoral degree in theory of healing through ancient Iranic rituals and spirituality “Dance as a Pathway of Healing and Spiritual Transformation.” She is also an integrated healing practitioner and an initiated master in the Iranian Sufi and mystic order. She brings a unique blend of academic rigor and spiritual depth to her work, performances, and teachings. As an award-winning and internationally acclaimed performing artist and choreographer, Dr. Berenji has been recognized as one of the foremost global scholars in Eastern mysticism and ethnochoreology.

Connect: Farima Dance - Website

Space limited. Reservations required: (415) 355-5626 or sign-up at the reference desk (starting September 1st). 

Author Readings & Lectures

Engage with your favorite writers and discover your next read.

Dance & Music

Enjoy performances, talks and workshops that celebrate movement and the musical arts.

SWANA Interest

This program honors the diverse cultures, traditions and histories of Southwest Asian and North African heritage.

This program is sponsored by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.

Attending Programs

All programs are drop-in (no registration necessary) unless otherwise noted. All SFPL locations are wheelchair accessible. For accommodations (such as ASL), call (415) 557-4557 or contact accessibility@sfpl.org. Requesting at least 3 business days in advance will help ensure availability.

This program will be conducted in English unless otherwise noted.

Notice: This event may be filmed or photographed. By participating in this event, you consent to have your likeness used for the Library’s archival purposes and promotional materials. If you do not want to be photographed, please inform a staff person or the photographer. A sticker will be provided to help identify you so that we can avoid capturing your image.

Public Notice and Disclaimer

This program uses a third-party website link. By clicking on the third-party website link, you will leave SFPL's website and enter a website not operated by SFPL. This service may collect personally identifying information about you, such as name, username, email address, and password. This service will treat the information it collects about you pursuant to its own privacy policy. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each third-party website or service that you visit or use, including those third parties with whom you interact through our Library services. For more information about these third-party links, please see the section of SFPL’s Privacy Policy describing Links to Other Sites.

The views and opinions expressed in programs presented by groups unaffiliated with SFPL do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SFPL or the City.