Female

A "pro" belly dancer since the age of one.

I worked many of the classic night clubs and restaurants from childhood to adulthood including the original "Sirocco," "The Paradise Oriental Restaurant," "Sagapo," "The Green Valley" and the "Aziza Club" in NYC and the "Averof" in Boston and many others. I was a regular guest for seven years on the "Turkish Voice" T.V. program that broadcast in the NorthEast and in Ankara, Turkey and was produced by Farouk Fenik, the head of Turkish Tourism and Airlines in NYC.

I've been accompanied since childhood by many of the greatest musicians in the world of belly dance including recording artists "Baba" Ajdin Aslan, oud, Anesto Athanasou, Bouzuki, Freddy Elias, violin, Harry Bedrosian, oud and Mitch Kaltsounas, drum, to name a few.

My mother, Johanna, was a "Greektown" NYC dancer and dance company director of the "Oasis Ballet" in the heyday and my father was Middle Eastern recording artist/composer/actor Samir Al-Tawil. I've traveled and performed all over the U.S. I am of Lebanese/Syrian Arab and Armenian descent and American (Cherokee and Osage Indian, Celtic, British, and French Gypsy.)

My mother Johanna was the first dancer from Greektown NYC to have a dance company ("Johanna's Oasis Ballet"), to be featured in an article in "Dance" magazine with her husband at the time "Turhan" and was the first dancer in Greektown NYC to dance with multiple veils, play "Kashik," dance with a fire pot on her head, play on patrons water glasses with her cymbals, and wear a "scarf" skirt, her own design, which she marketed to many dancers as a costumer.

Her dance pupil Aiyupa was the first in Greektown NYC to dance with a sword, a routine which Johanna created for her with input from Ajdin Aslan, her longtime business associate and member of "Oasis."

After Aiyupa's retirement, Johanna became known for the sword dance at venues all over the country including Greektown, Chicago.

My specialties include authentic Middle Eastern "Martial" type sword dance, Black Sea fire dance "Laz," "Karsilama," classic belly dance, veil, and a variety of line dances from the Arabic, Turkish and Greek tradition including "Dabke," "Syrto-Ciftelli," "Zembekiko," and "Kasop/Hasopiko/Hora/Kazatsky."

I also perform a retro "Burlesque" act with singing and comedy as my alter ego, "Zsa Zsa Gabber," which is actually a tribute to the history of American "show business" culture from the 1890's through the "Golden Age" of "Variety" in the 50's and 60's.

As a jazz singer I have performed with some of the original members of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, and been accompanied by musicians who played for Judy Garland.

As a jazz dancer I have performed with the "Straw Hatters Dixieland Band" and the "Fat Sam Band."