about me
HELENA VLAHOS
Sometimes our best ideas are born when we least expect it. Helena relates that just such an occasion gave rise to the act that put her into the Guinness Book of World Records and earned her quite a bit more than Mr. Warhol's touted 15 minutes of fame. The famous act involves first flipping a dollar bill in the crease of her belly. Then she proceeds to lay out a row of nine quarters across her tummy just below her navel. Using her belly muscles, she flips the quarters; twice up and down, one at a time, and finally every other one at a time! When asked how this came about, Helena takes us back to a performance in 1968 at the People Tree in Calabasas, California.
Since Helena had taught herself to perform belly rolls while reclining with her arms propping her up, she incorporated the position into the belly roll segment of her act. Naturally, appreciative patrons would shower her with tips as she performed. Then on this particular night, a customer placed a bill right where it caught perfectly in her belly fold, causing the note to flip neatly over. The crowd went wild! Helena realized that here was something really unique she could add to her show. With her typical determined attitude, she began to practice the act in her spare time. At first she worked only with the bill, but then thought, why not give coins a try. After experimenting with various coins, she settled on quarters as working the best for her. Years of persistence finally led to her mastery of an incredible nine coin row, a feat that hasn't been matched since.
