Legend: Tejla Ates

Nejla Ates: Featured Legend of Red Hots Burlesque

It’s a new week, and our legend is Red Hot!

NEJLA ATES

Romanian-born belly dancer Nejla Ates, whose name means “sunset fire,” led a life as notorious for her many romances as she was for her infamous bumps and grinds. Born in March of 1932, Nejla reportedly was self-taught in the art of dance that favorite wives in a harem performed for the sultan once she read of it in a book. She began performing in Beirut, before eventually moving to New York City to become one of the most famous belly dancers on the burlesque circuit in the ’50s. In 1954 a naked statue of her was erected in New York’s Central Park as a publicity stunt to promote her role in the Broadway musical “Fanny,” which ran successfully for 888 shows. Burlesque performer Rose la Rose got into a heated feud with Nejla, claiming that the belly dancer had stolen most of her moves for the musical from Rose’s performances years before. Nejla also took a turn on the silver screen, dancing in the 1955 film “Son of Sinbad.” Nejla famously romanced oil heir Sheppard William King III, singers Billy Daniels and Bobby Colt, and even had Saudi Arabian prince admirers, most of which played out in the tabloids. Her luck in love was fast and frequent, but Nejla was also troubled, attempting suicide twice, saying after her first attempt, “I’m fed up with life… with love… with everything.” She also dealt with numerous injuries over her career related to her dancing. Nejla returned to Turkey in 1965, where she passed away in 2005 at the age of 73.