Authentic Belly Dancing Entertainment and Academy

Blog #13: Zeyna in Puerto Rico

By 3 Comments

I got off the plane and got slammed with humidity that I never knew could exist but in a steam room, the taxi took me to the Flamboyan Hotel. The first thing I noticed was the lobby was completely open, no doors! The next thing I noticed was Kazar, the man I first met with Eddy Kojak in front of the Britania was walking towards me smiling and then welcomed me to Puerto Rico. We rehearsed that afternoon and the next and then the following night I started working. Kazar was the drummer and manager of the group. Who knew! The main night club was lobby level with the biggest stars, then there were the lounge acts. We were on the second open floor level called The Casbah La Vista. It was more like a open veranda with a huge canvas for a roof. It was hotter then a witch’s tit dancing out there. I danced first and the famed dancer “AHMAD” Russell Jarjour and his dance partner at the time “Bahia” were the stars and what a star he was! We became very good friends over the years. He was a fantastic dancer and what I loved was, even though belly dancing was suppose to be feminine he was masculine in his movements.

After that Abramhim & Phaedra (Bobby Farrah & Phyllis) replaced them and they were also very nice people and easy to work with. Later on, Kazar was offered to take the show to the Puerto Rico Sheraton Hotel where I ended up working with Soraya, Shemsi, Fatosh and a number of others. Eddy took over at the Flamboyan and I bounced back and forth between the two hotels for 3 years. I learned a lot there working with these people and being surrounded with big stars and even met some. We were even hired to perform on the U.S.S. Guam, a war ship docked there. I performed for over three thousand sailors and then invited back for dinner with the Captain and his first officers. When I was getting dressed to perform I had four guards at the door. We also went to the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
My highlight was being put on the front page and being billed over Bobby and Phaedra and
was featured on the front page. I was holding my own.

Blog #12: Zeyna goes to Cleveland

By 1 Comment

Greek nightclubs were popping up all over the country and experienced dancers were in demand. John Angelou told me they needed a dancer in Cleveland and they were paying $40 dollars a night. A lot of dancers from the Ave. started coming back and forth from other cities and I thought I’d give it a shot.

“The Forty Thieves” was the first club I worked. Funny, I was in Cleveland but the club was on Detroit Ave. Karma? Fate? Who was the star there? OZEL TURKBAS! The very first dancer I had ever seen and she was so nice and pleasant to work with and a true pro. They did not have a drummer and she loved solo’s so thanks to Sabah and my experience’s in New York I was able to play for her show and give her a half ass ed solo. I then moved to the “Grecian Gardens” where I found out that I had to be a member of AGVA, American Guild of Variety Artists or, I could not work there, I joined. From there I went to “The Athenian”. When that job finished I got another offer to work another supper club called “Mr. Grapevines” but they were not AGVA. I needed the work, AGVA came in and told me I would be black balled if I took one step on the stage, I was black balled. After that I worked a number of American clubs, “The Red Carpet Inn” “The Thunderbird Lounge” and a few other places. Ever hear the expression “Break A Leg?” That comes from AGVA, because it was the only thing they paid for. They still exist!

One morning I got a call from Eddy Kochak. He wanted to know if I was available to work in Puerto Rico, the pay was $50 a night, free room in the hotel and half off anything I ate or drank. I was packed and on the next plane. A year in Cleveland
was enough. In this article they spelled Ozel and Zeyna wrong but hey, it was the
first time I was “in the news”

Blog #11: Zeyna’s last Blog for New York. Now off to Cleveland. Blogs for Cleveland Coming Soon!!

By 3 Comments

Before I leave my story and move on to Cleveland, I have to give note to another dancer that I worked with on 8th Ave. before and during my time there. Yildiz and I were friends and probably the sweetest of them all and a strong dancer.

Afet was Turkish and before my time. I knew many more but this story would never end.

Blog # 10: Zeyna Meets Zoraida!! The Explosive Latin Fireball!!!

By 1 Comment

Zoraida I guess is probably my fondest memory from those years. Very infrequently Buckus “owner of the Britania” would let us come off stage and talk to someone we knew at the bar but always on alert for anyone from the Cabaret Licensing Board. This one night Kazar came in and said, Hey Gyps, you should see the “faukin” (New York common slang) dancer up in the Egyptian Gardens. She’s hot shit and her “faukin” zills (finger cymbals) are “faukin” dynamite. She’s up there with those “faukin” Turkish witches and kickin ass. Too funny! Well he was right, she kicked ass. Exotic & Powerful with “faukin” zills stronger then I had ever heard, with her own individual style. Talk about dancing to your own beat! She was born in Puerto Rico with Aztec origins, raised in New York. She had that FLAMINGO FLARE oozing from every PASSIONATE-EXOTIC pore in her body. A new concept for me, her dancing had passion. She was the first & only dancer that I could FEEL her raw passion. She was an orchid among roses.

Blog #9 Journey with Zeyna: Jemela Omar at the Round Table in New York on the East Side on 50th

By 3 Comments

There was a club “on the east side on 50th.” called The Round Table. I heard Morocco was dancing
there and wanted to see her. The club was very up scale, valet parking etc. Alright, I
saved some money and went. What ever———I walked out of there and felt like going
home and shooting myself. I had a great ear and sense of rhythm, no formal dance
back round, but I did pride myself on being a great gymnast. Jemela was introduced not
Morocco, I cannot remember anything after that, she blew my mind and confidence. Again!

Think about doing a back bend undulating all the way down, then kneeling on one leg, the
other extended, in a back bend and pivoting at the same time. GEEZZ! Do you have any idea what power that takes? I honestly do not remember if Morocco was there that night or not.

Jemela was classy, powerful powerful powerful. A lot of Ballet training and put my
gymnastic abilities under the carpet. What a woman, what a entertainer, such class.
She danced in Beirut, Lebanon and on Broadway in N.Y. She also traveled with the
Broadway show Zorba the Greek. She is a legion personified.

We are still friends and she is still absolutely powerfully beautiful.