Authentic Belly Dancing Entertainment and Academy

Zeyna’s Experience with her First Belly Dancing Show: Ozel Turkbas: 1964 New York City Supper Club

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1964 New York City Supper Club

Ozel Turkbas was the first Belly Dancer I ever saw and she blew me away. She was beautiful, feminine, her nails were manicured and polished, and she was a Belly Dancer from Turkey! WOW! Her costumes were dazzling and absolutely gorgeous. I had never seen this before, but she took men on the stage and taught them to shake a little and the crowd went hysterical with laughter.

Hell, I was from Minnesota, what did I know? My start: I had been a customer at the Istanbul in New York on 8th Ave., getting up learning the Greek dances when the singer approached me and said that I should try and belly dance and she would make me a costume.

So now, back to 8th Ave. Greek Town U.S.A. The Istanbul Club: Dancing about two months, thinking I was hot shit. I wanted costumes like Ozel Turkbas, but I was clueless and none of the belly dancers brought men up on the stage. I would not have dared anyway. I thought to myself, it is time to check out all these other clubs and see what the other belly dancers were doing. After checking out all the other clubs and other belly dancers, I realized when the light bulb flashed that I knew crap about the art.

In the 60’s, there was not anything such as a belly dance school, so every night I had off, I lived in the other clubs, studying the moves of the other belly dancers and listening, really listening to the music and how and what they did and where. The more I learned the more I knew I didn’t know. However, thank God I had a natural ear and love for music. I understood the beats of music and I could hear and feel it. Big Thing for my start in the Belly Dancing World!

Love You, I will tell you more in my next BLOG. Zeyna!!

Neenah Loves her Belly Dancing Teacher, Zeyna: Zeyna was Neenah’s Belly Dancing Teacher who Opened the Amazing Doors to the World of Belly Dancing.

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Zeyna always had a beautiful smile when she performed. The audience adored her!
I met Zeyna back in the late 1980’s when she was performing at the Goldfinger in Dallas, Texas. My husband and I went to dinner and saw her amazing show. We were so impressed by her show. She had stage presence, a classy aura, beautiful gold and black costume, performed the best floor-work I have ever seen, and great audience participation. The audience loved her! I was so impressed when she came to our table afterwards and introduced herself with that beautiful smile. She was classy on-stage and off-stage, meticulously dressed in an evening gown and her make-up and nails were absolutely perfect. All I was thinking was that I wish I could be a belly dancer like her. By the end of the night, my husband nudged me several times to go and ask her if she teaches belly dancing classes. Back in the 80’s belly dancing classes were very limited. I told her I loved her floor and wanted to know if she would help me with mine. In her Midwestern accent, she asked me if I knew how to do the splits. I sheepishly said “no.” She continues to say to me, “You look like a straight decent kid, you have a nice husband, good family and you are in school.” [Note: I was a stay at home mom and at that time our 3 daughters were 3,2 and 1 years old. They also got to know Zeyna. She taught them how to be strong swimmers]. After a long pause, she says “Yeah, I will teach you, but I am very picky about who I teach to, so you gotta listen to me and pay attention ..”___Was I in for a big surprise. Zeyna has spent years with me since then, drilling in my mind the importance of costuming, make-up, stage presence and the audience and still coaches me today about the world of Belly Dancing. The up and coming BLOGS will describe her belly dancing career, specifically in New York where she was re-known and referred to as “Gypsy.” The BLOGS will also follow with the amazing Belly Dancers who influenced her belly dancing performance and molded her dancing career. I can’t wait to share.