|
|
Stage Name |
Birth Name |
| Little Egypt |
Farida Mazar
- Spyropoulos |
| Fatima |
|
| "Step right up, see
Little Egypt and Pharaoh’s harem of harlots bare it
all live on the inside.” |
Legend
has said (not verified) that Little Egypt was to have scandalized
and delighted visitors when she danced at the 1893 Colombian Exposition's
Egyptian Theater for the infamous Sol
Bloom, who was the entertainment
director of the Expo and the person who coined the Misnomer "belly
dance," (correct term is
Raks
Sharki) which was known prior
to many Americans as the Hootchy-Kootchy dance or "danse
du ventre." The song that made her famous was " The
Streets of Cairo" and is said that that song gave rise to
Hootchy-Kootchy.
There were many "dancing girls" in this theater but
"Fatima" aka "Little Egypt" was said
to have stood out and outright "STOLE THE SHOW." Anthony
Comstock tried to shut the Expo's midway dance hall down, but
only made it more popular.
|
|
It is said that because
of her infamous dance in Chicago, Little Egypt changed Vaudeville
into Burlesque
with her "striptease,"
as many promoters tried to cash in on her (or its) popularity,
although today, it is said (like Gypsy
Rose Lee) she NEVER actually STRIPPED, only TEASED (also
see Lydia Thompson.)
Another
Little Egypt named Ashea Wabe
(pictured) became the talk of the town and made front
page news in December of 1896 after she danced for Fifth Avenue,
NY's "Seeley bachelor party" held at Sherry's Restaurant
which was raided by the vice squad. The Trans-Mississippi and
International Exposition, held in 1898 in Omaha, included performances
by a dancer advertised as Little Egypt, it was verified that she
was Ashea Wabe ... Wabe stated: "It's just this way. There
are four 'Little Egypts' in this country, three in Chicago and
one in Minneapolis. They claim to be 'Little Egypt,' but I am
the only genuine one." Wabe died in her West 37th Street
apartment in 1908 of “gas asphyxiation.”
Farida started traveling
the circuit and by 1897 was dancing on Broadway. At the late age
of 62, Spyropoulos even danced as Little Egypt at the 1933 Century
of Progress in Chicago. Many years later, many people would claim
to be the famed "Little Egypt," trying to cash in on
her fame, but they were not, and today, most agree it was Farida.
Some have even went so far as to claim they were her daughters
or even granddaughters, however Farida never had any children. |
Ballrooms
