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Maria Champion Dervish Dancer

Updated Jun 26, 2025
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Maria Champion Dervish Dancer
Photo of Sharon Marangoni Sharon Marangoni
9 favorites
08/21/2015
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
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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
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Photo of Helen Maly Madanat Helen Maly Madanat
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Gypsy.
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Photo of Jayme Woolam Jayme Woolam
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Jo Woolam, makes me think of you 😉
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Photo of Ed Tily Ed Tily
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Lorna Fletcher how's this for a wonderful picture!
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Photo of Rik Schmidt Rik Schmidt
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Bridget Schickel, Garnett L. Myers
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Photo of Garnett L. Myers Garnett L. Myers
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Omg!!! Love it!!! And in California. I wanna go there.
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Photo of Lorna Fletcher Lorna Fletcher
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Unfortunately Ed Tily, whirling just makes me feel ill, rather than taking me to a place of ecstasy lol
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Photo of Ed Tily Ed Tily
via Facebook
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.
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Photo of Christie A Haney Christie A Haney
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Love it
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Photo of Carroll Rossi Carroll Rossi
via Facebook
08/25/2015
What year was this picture taken ?
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Photo of Magdalena Chałupka Magdalena Chałupka
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Wow, she looks like Polish singer Kayah in this picture!
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Photo of Alisa Murphy Alisa Murphy
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Beautiful!
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Photo of Carol Wheeler Carol Wheeler
via Facebook
08/25/2015
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Photo of Bridget Schickel Bridget Schickel
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Love it
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Photo of Bridget Schickel Bridget Schickel
via Facebook
08/25/2015
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Photo of Charly Carrillo Charly Carrillo
via Facebook
08/25/2015
I just love these vintage pic it's so beautiful 👍🏻😍
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Photo of Kathleen Glenn Kathleen Glenn
via Facebook
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.
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Photo of Peg Klug Peg Klug
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Love
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Photo of Karen Mills Karen Mills
via Facebook
08/25/2015
I did not think females were dervishes
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Photo of Deborah Pierce Deborah Pierce
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Gorgeous!
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Photo of Frank High Frank High
via Facebook
08/25/2015
No technology back then, so slow paced.
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Photo of Maureen Trant Maureen Trant
via Facebook
08/25/2015
A Whirling Dervish?
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Photo of Conceição Silva Conceição Silva
via Facebook
08/25/2015
So lovely
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Photo of Paola Smemorata De Falchi Paola Smemorata De Falchi
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Vale Affa... ho pensato a te...
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Photo of Melissa Gordner Melissa Gordner
via Facebook
08/25/2015
That's beautiful...
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Photo of Ronny R. Alders Ronny R. Alders
via Facebook
08/25/2015
Very nice! Elegant and stylish!
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Photo of Vale Affa Vale Affa
via Facebook
08/25/2015
grazie :) adoro
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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?
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Photo of Joan Robertson Joan Robertson
via Facebook
08/25/2015
The dervishes were actually male dancers.
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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
via Facebook
08/25/2015
I think she looks cool
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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.
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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!
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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
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Photo of Cecilia Robbins Cecilia Robbins
via Facebook
08/26/2015
Love her costume
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Photo of Kathy Green Kathy Green
via Facebook
08/26/2015
Maria, you are fabulous!
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Photo of Norma Cardoza Norma Cardoza
via Facebook
08/26/2015
Love the pic. .I wish I could've seen her dance. .
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Photo of Deb Adams Deb Adams
via Facebook
09/09/2015
Classy for them then.... awesome
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Photo of Carroll Rossi Carroll Rossi
30 favorites
09/16/2015
Isn't she Maria,The Whirling Dervish Champion?
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Photo of Sharon Marangoni Sharon Marangoni
9 favorites
09/17/2015
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.....
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Gabby Smith
4 favorites
06/05/2016
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.
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Photo of Daniel Pinna Daniel Pinna
204 followers 10.5k+ favorites
06/06/2016
Great find Gabby! How'd you discover that this is from the Midwinter Expo 1894 San Francisco? Well done!
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Gabby Smith
4 favorites
07/02/2016
This event featured belly dancers and other type female performers in Golden Gate Park. If you go to
[external link]
and look under their midwinter exposition you will see similar photos. Also, you tube has some examples of their performances
[external link]
. Sharon, is lucky to have such a photo. Hope this helps.
Reply
Photo of Daniel Pinna Daniel Pinna
204 followers 10.5k+ favorites
07/05/2016
Thank you Gabby for the great resources. Love the belly dancing video copyrighted by Thomas Edison in 1898.
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