Cairo, Egypt: The head Sufi dancer in Cairo’s Sufi Dance Troupe. Many of the Sufi dances are a form of meditation, contemplating God and mentally freeing themselves from desires and worries. The spinning symbolizes the rotation of the earth and revolutions of planets, representing the universe and creating a dichotomy between the earthly and heavenly. The troupe performs in Khan al-Khalili, a famous souq in Cairo's Old Islamic district.

Photo by Melanie Butcher © 2008