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Maria Champion Dervish Dancer

Updated Jun 26, 2025
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Maria Champion Dervish Dancer
This photo was among my grandfather's things. His mother, Julia May Starling, was an actress, and I suspect she was a fan of this woman. My first thought was that they are one and the same, but I cannot tell for sure.

Who is this woman and what was her background?
Date & Place: in San Francisco, San Francisco County, California United States
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Photo of Rosalie Smith Rosalie Smith
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Is dervish like belly dancer? Or some kind of ritual/tribal thing? seriously IDK, but I love the dress...:D
Photo of Sarah Shell Sarah Shell
via Facebook
08/25/2015
It's a Sufi Muslim religious practice, to attain a state of enlightenment.
Photo of Donna Maddix Donna Maddix
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Beautiful photo
Photo of Helen Maly Madanat Helen Maly Madanat
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08/25/2015
Gypsy.
Photo of Jayme Woolam Jayme Woolam
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08/25/2015
Jo Woolam, makes me think of you 😉
Photo of Ed Tily Ed Tily
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08/25/2015
Lorna Fletcher how's this for a wonderful picture!
Photo of Rik Schmidt Rik Schmidt
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08/25/2015
Bridget Schickel, Garnett L. Myers
Photo of Garnett L. Myers Garnett L. Myers
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08/25/2015
Omg!!! Love it!!! And in California. I wanna go there.
Photo of Lorna Fletcher Lorna Fletcher
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08/25/2015
Unfortunately Ed Tily, whirling just makes me feel ill, rather than taking me to a place of ecstasy lol
Photo of Ed Tily Ed Tily
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08/25/2015
But she looks amazing doesn't she xx
Photo of Lorna Fletcher Lorna Fletcher
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Yes she does :-) are you trying to give me costume ideas? Because I don't need any more encouragement haha x
Photo of Ed Tily Ed Tily
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Well, I love the clothes you make, so yes - any encouragement means nice pictures going up at some point 😄 xx
Photo of Judy Dillon Judy Dillon
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Would love to know her life story. Thank you for sharing the picture.
Photo of Christie A Haney Christie A Haney
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08/25/2015
Love it
Photo of Carroll Rossi Carroll Rossi
via Facebook
08/25/2015
What year was this picture taken ?
Photo of Magdalena Chałupka Magdalena Chałupka
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Wow, she looks like Polish singer Kayah in this picture!
Photo of Alisa Murphy Alisa Murphy
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Beautiful!
Photo of Carol Wheeler Carol Wheeler
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08/25/2015
Photo of Bridget Schickel Bridget Schickel
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Love it
Photo of Bridget Schickel Bridget Schickel
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08/25/2015
Photo of Charly Carrillo Charly Carrillo
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08/25/2015
I just love these vintage pic it's so beautiful 👍🏻😍
Photo of Kathleen Glenn Kathleen Glenn
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08/25/2015
She looks a lot like grandma Bartow. Maybe Jackie could post the picture that she looks like her in if she has them with her.
Photo of Peg Klug Peg Klug
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08/25/2015
Love
Photo of Karen Mills Karen Mills
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08/25/2015
I did not think females were dervishes
Photo of Deborah Pierce Deborah Pierce
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08/25/2015
Gorgeous!
Photo of Frank High Frank High
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08/25/2015
No technology back then, so slow paced.
Photo of Maureen Trant Maureen Trant
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08/25/2015
A Whirling Dervish?
Photo of Conceição Silva Conceição Silva
via Facebook
08/25/2015
So lovely
Photo of Paola Smemorata De Falchi Paola Smemorata De Falchi
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08/25/2015
Vale Affa... ho pensato a te...
Photo of Melissa Gordner Melissa Gordner
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08/25/2015
That's beautiful...
Photo of Ronny R. Alders Ronny R. Alders
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08/25/2015
Very nice! Elegant and stylish!
Photo of Vale Affa Vale Affa
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08/25/2015
grazie :) adoro
Photo of Mary Crestani Silantyev Mary Crestani Silantyev
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Her costume certainly looks like a national dress. Don't know where from. Any suggestions?
Photo of Joan Robertson Joan Robertson
via Facebook
08/25/2015
The dervishes were actually male dancers.
Photo of Noreene Bailey-Treece Noreene Bailey-Treece
via Facebook
08/25/2015
My thought too. Only recently have they allowed female dancers and not dressed like this.
Photo of Shakira Piccione Plummer Shakira Piccione Plummer
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08/25/2015
I think she looks cool
Photo of Carolyn Hornbeck Carolyn Hornbeck
via Facebook
08/25/2015
I thought only men were Dervish dancers. I have to search more on that.
Photo of Connie C Morgan Connie C Morgan
via Facebook
08/26/2015
Well, I THOUGHT the one above sure looked like a man! Whew!
Photo of Carolyn Hornbeck Carolyn Hornbeck
via Facebook
08/26/2015
"Women were received into a tariqa order by a male sheikh, but traditionally were instructed to practice the dhikr alone or with an established branch of females within a specific order. Sufi whirling, a worship of dhikr, became a gender and class neutral practice throughout the Central Islamic region." ~Wikipedia
Photo of Cecilia Robbins Cecilia Robbins
via Facebook
08/26/2015
Love her costume
Photo of Kathy Green Kathy Green
via Facebook
08/26/2015
Maria, you are fabulous!
Photo of Norma Cardoza Norma Cardoza
via Facebook
08/26/2015
Love the pic. .I wish I could've seen her dance. .
Photo of Deb Adams Deb Adams
via Facebook
09/09/2015
Classy for them then.... awesome
Isn't she Maria,The Whirling Dervish Champion?
Is that a real person? I was not sure if Maria was a real person, or if my g-g grandmother was playing the part of Maria in a play.....
Dear Sharon, Came across this photo. There were Dervish dancers for the Midwinter Exposition 1894 in San Francisco. This is likely where the photo comes from.
Great find Gabby! How'd you discover that this is from the Midwinter Expo 1894 San Francisco? Well done!
This event featured belly dancers and other type female performers in Golden Gate Park. If you go to and look under their midwinter exposition you will see similar photos. Also, you tube has some examples of their performances . Sharon, is lucky to have such a photo. Hope this helps.
Thank you Gabby for the great resources. Love the belly dancing video copyrighted by Thomas Edison in 1898.
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