Aziza ! at UC Med Center
Aziza ! finalé at Bagdad
Aziza ! at Zorba ’ s
in “ showbiz ” as a Belly dancer . I performed with Donna Simonds as Zulieka and Adah the “ only 2 woman belly dance team in the known universe ” We did hundreds of shows every year performing at private events , Zorba ’ s in San Jose and every venue that featured Belly Dancing at the time .
Because we worked so much , we needed costumes ! ( That was our excuse ) The truth was , we were addicted to costumes … the glitter , sequins and beads were irresistible .
Rakkasah , the big belly dance festival in Richmond , California , was the mecca for all Belly dancers . It was filled with non-stop dancing from amateurs to professionals and vendor after vendor selling the brightest and prettiest costumes you ’ ve ever seen .
Aziza for us was the best ! We loved her . No one had the quality of fabric like she did . Her skirts and veils were ready made and if they needed alterations , she could do it . Her booth for us was the ultimate in shopping . We worked 52 weeks of the year and never duplicated a costume twice . We had so many costumes ! It was crazy . She fed our addiction and because we grew to be friends , she would set aside costumes she knew we ’ d love .
Along with belly dancing , I started dancing in the band ,
54 The Belly Dance Chronicles � October 2020