Leyla popularized bellydance
in North Beach. She was the first to be there on Broadway. I'm trying to remember
the club name, before Gigi's. She became very famous. She was a sensation. The
papers all wrote her up. She started with me and then became and international
star. When I saw her a few years ago. She told me that if it hadn't been for
you I wouldn't have done all this! She became the bellydancer in 'To Russia
with Love" staring Sean Connery, a 007 movie. She wen also to perform for
the crown heads of Europe and to have a very successful career. She danced in
the biggest cabarets of the Mid East and Europe. The last
time she came and I presented her in a workshop in my studio. Horacio and Sapphira
took the workshop. I started Horacio & Saphirra teaching in my studio.
I always studied East Indian and Hindu dance. Including with Ruth St Dennis in the 50's in hollywood with my husband. We stayed in the studio of Devi Dja. She was the most famous dancer to come out of Bali. A lot of stars stayed at her studio. It was an international house, full of international artists, dancer, actors. I was doing some movie work at the time. Jamilla came and stayed there too. Jamilla was married to a body builder at that time. We were good friends at the time.
She (Devi Dja or Jamilla?) appeared in many famous movies, including a picture of Dorian Grey. She did a temple dance. She and Ruth were friends with each other.... ethnic dance festival, they appeared together at this event in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. I appeared there also with my troupe demonstrating the dances of Egypt. Ruth was the mother of the Middle Eastern dance in America. I traveled all over the US and Canada with Devi Dja. She introduced me to a Mid Eastern dancer. In the early 1950's. Camila was her name. I took some classes with her and got into the feeling of it. This was before there was any clubs, CD's, anything. In the late 40's I started teaching in my downtown studio at the Golden Gate studio. The big stars would drop in to have pictures with Walt. Walt was a big name back then for his body building. He started the first health and fitness studio, not just in SF but was one of the first in America. He was here at the same time with Jack la Laine. We (Walt and Jack?) did shows together. I was the oriental dancer.Walt was very famous for his muscle control dance. Total isolations. He did this at Gigi's too. Is was really phenomenal. He could flex and isolate every muscle in his body. He worked with snakes too. We help Bert get his first snake. What did he do with that snake? This was before Jamilla started working with snakes. In 1964 (my son, Baron, was born in 1963) we were at Gigi's Walt would come out, and be a magician, work with fire, do his muscle control and then charm the snake with his flute. We would come out with two large basket. King Tut , a large boa, would come out of one. He would hand it to me and I would dance with it. Then Walt would charm another smaller one out of another basket and hold this one. I would dance with King Tut. We had offers to go on the road with our act. But, I had three children by this time. We just couldn't do it with the kids and our teaching schedule of dance, yoga, and physical fitness at out studio.
When I presented Ibraham Farrah at our International SF Belly Dance Festival in 1988, Bobby said he had only been here once before. He told me that I was the first one to dance with a snake. He had caught our act when he was here before performing at the Bagdad in Notth Beach. At this time there was also a very famous exotic dancer at Big Al's. She came to me and wanted me to teacher her to dance with a snake. "I know you were the first." I did help her. We helped her get a snake too. I can't think of her name!
We had a studio at Turk & Van Ness, The Academy of the Arts, dance, art,
drama. It was an enormous place. I have a picture of Amina in my dance class.
We presented a play about Nefertiti. I was Nefertiti. It was a very ambious
play. I choose Amina to be the court dancer in this play. We needed a dancer
to dance before the king. She studied with me during that time. She did a lovely
job.This was in the late 50's or early 60's? When I was dancing at Gigi's, Vince
was the drummer, Fadil was on oud. I also appeared on Naji Baba's show many
times. Dahlena was on his program at that time also.