If anyone could make you believe in Flying Carpets, It probably would've been Nejla. Nejla Ates was a very good Middle Eastern dancer (Belly dance aka al raks sharqi) who did some very erotic dancing during her career. Altho not born in Turkey, it appears as if she may have grown up there with her parents, at least for a time. Danced in a few movies as well with some big name cheesecake dancers such as Lili St Cyr and is said to have been the first "Belly Dancer" to gain fame thru dancing in the movies. Did some Burlesque and Show girl work as a dancer during her career as well.
Danced at the Casino de Paris and the Ringside Club around 1952 and by 1953 is at Lou Walters Latin Quarter in NYC. and eventually becomes the most sensational show stopper Walter's ever had. She then travels to Las Vegas and is heralded the hottest of the Las Vegas acts along with Billy Daniels.
It is said to have had more lovers than Valentino himself and seems to have been engaged to someone or other every six months or so from doormen to Prince's and even King's (even sued by one,) and in 1952 was briefly engaged to millionaire Shep Abdullah King but she says they were mostly publicity stunts. In 1955, Burlesque star Rose La Rose becomes enraged at Ates for supposedly stealing her wiggles in "Fanny" and says they are the same ones she did in New York a couple of seasons ago.
Ballrooms
