Page 32, December 13, 1978 - North Shore News

- Reshad_ explains: . ‘‘The
sacred dance is expressing
something of a higher order

than what we experience in-

normal every day life, or with.
- the mind.”’

‘This dance has_ been
done without a break
transmission for 705 years.’”

In the turn, as will be the.
case at this week’s Sema, the ~
whirlers, or turners, repre- —
moving =

sent the planets
around the sun.

The Dervishes wear jong
white gowns, black cloaks
and high felt hats and as they
turn they have their. arms_
‘outstretched with the right. .
hand upturned, accepting
divine blessing, which leaves
the body through the down-”
ward pointing left hand.

It takes at least 1,001 days

to masier the turn. First step ©

is to change the turner’s
centre of. gravity from. the

solar plexus to the centre of. ©

the chest to combat dizzi- |
ness. :

“They ‘don't, pay: ‘me at

dime,” complains . Nipsey |
Russell about the brand
names
displayed on his costume -

“and it’s going to give People
the wrong idea about me.”

The veteran comedian of
cabarets and TV talk shows
is making his motion picture
debut in the musical movie,
“The Wiz,” playing the role
of the Tinman who is
searching for a heart.

And he’s furious about the
reaction to his: costume
which is, basically, a
collection of old tin cans and
other junkpile artifacts.

As photographs of Nipsey,
in costume, began to appear,
people started asking him
about the Bavarian coffee
can on his right bicep and
the Budweiser beer can on
his left wrist, to mention the
two most prominent labels
displayed on his’ person.
Free advertising, is what he
sees it to be.

Coming off -the sireets of
Atlanta, where he danced
for pennies when he was a
kid of four, Nipsey knows
that a performer can't give it
away for free — not if he’s
going to eat.

Actually Nipsey Russell’s
costume, which was
‘designed by Tony Walton, is
a masterpiece of whimsey
and should draw applause:
the first time he’s on screen.

The Tinman is a com-
bination minstrel nian and
circus sideshow barker and,
as such, sports a straw hat,
tattered white gloves and a
bamboo cane.

“My big musical number"
explains Nipsey, “is called
‘Slide Some Oil to Me,’
because I'm always rusting
up and Dorothy's got to be
ready with my oil can.”

in -

prominently -

ft is not: a sect and not a
- Feligion’

Residents of the Van--

couverTurning Society house —

-in Lynn Valley practice the.

turn every . day. However,

Reshad maintains there is |
nothing . -mysterious, about |

them and writes. of the living
situation as

‘people’ who have ‘chosen. to |
tive together.”’ , a

obedience by those in the

. house, Reshad says: ‘‘I don’t |
like the word. It sounds like -
that South American busi-

ness. —

thing” ‘but they are not

- dedicated to me. My function

is to-be: their teacher. for 2 as

.. long as is mecessary.’

so far -- The Last. Barrier,

‘which tells of the adventures.
that led him to Sufism -- and.

two more are coming | out
‘next year.

~ His main work at present

-is.as a lecturer and counsel-.
lor since that is what he -
“managed to. obtain a. ‘work:
permit for to enter, Canada. oS

“RATHER SELL
_ ANTIQUES” }

But. he adds: oe would

. much rather be an antique _
dealer but I am not allowed |

j to in Canada. 1 would most ~

In the film version, . “the:
songs remain from the smash.

Broadway) but
screenplay i is new. Since the
film is set ina _fantasyland —
version of New York city,
the Tinman is found in a
heap - of discarded
amusement park junk at the
foot of the Cyclone roller

coaster in Coney Island.

For Nipsey Russell, the
film is an opportunity which,
fortunately, hasn't come too
late in a long. career.
Although he is content with
his reputation as a gag man,
which keeps him handsomely
employed nowadays, he is

impressed by the important

new image the public . will
see for the first time on the
big screen. —

Yet Nipsey is quick to
point out, “It's me that's

; going » to help make the

picture, not ‘the other way

‘around. I've worked damn
-hard and I know I'm good,

singing and dancing and
telling jokes.”

‘Nonetheless, he's _ still
grinding his teeth over the
indignity of parading around
the film like a walking
"billboard. “You know,” he
gripes, “it's even in the song
~~ Slide some oil to me. Let
it slip down my spine. If you
don’t have “STP” “Crisco”
will do just fine...”

Watching him as he
shuffles away from the
camera, twirling his cane in
the air like a reincarnation of
Charlie Chaplin, the ob-
server's eye is caught by
Nipsey’s rear end, which
carried a licence plate,
which is, not surprisingiy,
just an old New York state
motorcycle tag. But career
wise, Nipsey Russell is really
a limousine,

at,”

certainly: be an antique”

dealer otherwise. As a.

teacher i in the Sufi tradition it .

is. not: ‘something where you
have | ‘masses. of * devotees

running around you: all. day ©
long. mo

hit stage musical (which is”
now ‘in its third year on
the .

- But. he ‘knows he: is where

he should be and. doing what
he should be doing. -

“1 can’ t ‘avoid where I’m

prefer to have no title, no.
label and go back to being an
antique dealer.”’

It was through being an
antique dealer, sevetal years
ago, back in London, that he
entered upon his quest to
Turkey to become a Sufi.

‘As for the question of a

7 “Dedication is. an inner .

All of them have regular _
jobs, as a. part of ‘the Sufi)
tradition, ranging from social :,
- work, to nursing, business |
and carpentry. :

Reshad’s present ‘income
‘comes from his writing. He
has had one book published

7 a little antique shop that he
never usually. went into and
there’ he felt--an enormous

his Sufi teacher.

_ exclusive, Sufism was largely
secretive until recently,

_ primarily because of political ©
repression: in: ‘Turkey. Even

‘*Something draws you to it,

’ he says. ‘‘I would much ~

“people to follow their life-

. brings you, you must be very

THE TURN will be performed by the sheikh and members of the Vancouver Turning
Society at the Russian Community Centre in Vancouver, Friday and i Sunday ¢ this week,

One day he was drawn into

presence of love. He found it
-eminated from a man at the —
back of the dimly lit shop -- _
Hamid -- who was to become

Whereas it may not. be |

now, thou gh,

‘they remain —
inconspicuous. : _

Reshad says of Sufism:

almost relentessly.’’

Sufis never go looking for |

Style. It is the would-be
followers who seek out the
Sufis, ‘‘the reason being,”’
says Reshad, ‘‘that if destiny

clear it is destiny - and not

fate.”’ pictured during the Turn.

SHEIKH RESHAD FEILD of the. Mevlevt Dervishes,

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