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PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.
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Belly Dancers in the Movies
Maria's List, Part 2 of 3: Europe
This page is based on a list compiled by Maria in Boulder, Colorado. See the bottom of the page for a profile of her. It originally appeared on her former web site, which was titled "Boulder Bellygrams". After she discontinued that web site, she granted permission for her list to be published here on Shira.net.
On this page:
- Maria's List, Part 2. British & European movies.
On other pages of this web site:
- Maria's Lists
- Maria's List, Part 1. U.S. Movies
- Maria's List, Movies, Part 2. British & European Movies
- Maria's List, Movies, Part 3. Middle East, North Africa, Asia, movies needing further research, movies that Maria's original list included but don't contain dance scenes
- Maria's List, Television Shows
- Egyptian Movies with Dance Scenes. By Shira and Maria.
- Cartoons with "Middle Eastern Dance" Scenes. By Shira.
- Mini-Reviews
- Full-Length Reviews of Movies with "Middle Eastern" Themes. By Shira.
- Have Belly, Will Travel. A review by Shira of Tanya Lemani's autobiography in which she describes what it was like to appear in many of these movies.
- Mass Media, Mass Stereotypes. How the North American and European entertainment industry has portrayed "Middle Eastern Dance"
European Movies
Movie Title |
Year |
Dancer |
Comments |
| Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves |
1954 |
Samia Gamal |
French movie, originally titled Ali Baba et les Quarante Voleurs. View the opinion poll. |
| Carry On Follow That Camel |
1967 |
Anita Harris |
British spoof of the French Foreign Legion. Stars Jim Dale, Phil Silvers, and Anita Harris. Has also been known by the titles Carry On In the Legion and Carry On Up the Legion. Dance scene is insulting to belly dancers. Read Shira's mini-review or vote in the opinion poll. |
| Carry On Spying |
1964 |
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British spy spoof. |
| Crazy Stranger, The |
1997 |
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French movie, originally titled Gadjo Dilo. Contains Romany folk dancing. There is a belly dance in a Bucharest restaurant. |
| French Cancan |
1954 |
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French movie directed by Jean Renoir. A belly dancer opens the film. |
| From Russia with Love |
1963 |
Julie Mendez during the opening credits, Lisa Guiraut later in the movie |
Stars Sean Connery. Read Shira's mini-review. |
| Girl on the Bridge |
1999 |
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French movie, originally titled La Fille Sur le Pont. Quick glimpse of a belly dancer. Stars Vanessa Paradis and Daniel Auteuil. |
| Harem |
1985 |
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A New York stock broker is kidnapped by an OPEC oil minister and forced to become a veiled seductress, trained to serve Selim's whims |
| Head of a Tyrant |
1959 |
Isabelle Corey |
Italian movie, originally titled Giuditta e Oloferne. |
| Headless Ghost |
1959 |
Josephine Blake ("cooch" dancer) |
British comedy |
| Help! |
1965 |
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Stars The Beatles |
| House of 1,000 Dolls, The |
1967 |
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Originally released in Spain under the title Casa de las Mil Muñecas |
| Inspector, The |
1962 |
Julie Mendez |
Julie Mendez does a snake dance |
| Latcho Drom |
1993 |
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French movie. Includes a scene of Ghawazee dancing in Egypt. (Not the Banat Maazin.) |
| Mad Love |
2001 |
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Spanish movie, originally titled Juana de la Loca. Short belly dance scene with one of the king's Moorish lovers. Belly dancer in a tavern, who becomes Phillip of Habsburgo's lover. |
| Man With the Golden Gun |
1974 |
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| Marching on to Glory |
1980 |
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Greek movie, originally titled Kai Xana Pros ti Doxa Trava. |
| Nana, The True Key of Pleasure |
1982 |
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Italian movie, original title was simply Nana. Contains snake dancing. |
| Nefertiti, Queen of the Nile |
1961 |
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Italian movie, originally titled Nefertiti, Regina del Nilo. Stars Vincent Price. |
| Nine Ages of Nakedness, The |
1969 |
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| Octopussy |
1983 |
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Near the end of the movie, the Octopussy clan of women all belly dance to distract the guards so they can get into the castle. |
| Pierced by a Ray of Sunshine |
1995 |
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Italian movie, originally titled Trafitti Da un Raggio di Sole. A dancer does floor work on a table. |
| Return of the Pink Panther |
1975 |
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| Sign of the Gladiator |
1959 |
Chelo Alonso |
Italian movie, originally titled Nel Segno di Roma. |
| Son of Samson |
1960 |
Chelo Alonso |
Italian movie, originally titled Maciste Nella Valle dei Re. |
| Terror of the Red Mask |
1960 |
Chelo Alonso |
Italian movie, originally titled Terrore Della Maschera Rossa. |
| Time of the Gypsies |
1988 |
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British movie, title in Romany language is Dom Za Vesanje. Serbian / Romany dancing. |
| Underground |
1995 |
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French movie. Serbian / Romany dancing. |
| Valley of the Doomed |
1960 |
Chelo Alonso |
Italian movie, originally titled La Strada dei Giganti. |
| Vanity Fair |
2004 |
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Many belly dance scenes |
| Vengo |
2000 |
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Story is about a feud between two Gypsy families in
Andalusia. Shows women doing dervish spins and other bits of Arabic dance as well. Soundtrack includes flamenco, Sufi & a bit of Arabic music. |
| Wonders of Aladdin |
1961 |
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French movie, originally titled Le Meraviglie di Aladino. Stars Donald O'Connor as Aladdin. |
About Maria
The list of movies on this page was compiled by Maria over the course of several years, and used to reside on her own web site. After she discontinued her web site, she granted permission to Shira to place it here on Shira.net so that it wouldn't be lost to the dance community.
Maria is a retired professional belly dancer and flamenco dancer from the Boulder, Colorado area. She was one of the main dancers at the House of Marrakesh in LODO Denver and the former Mataam Fez in Boulder.
Maria taught bellydance to hundreds of students in the Boulder area. She was also Director of World Dance at former dance studio "Dance West". As former Event Manager for Boulder Creek Events, she coordinated and scheduled high profile Boulder events such as the "Boulder Community Dance Stage" at the Boulder Creek Festiva for nine years.
Maria was previously owner of Boulder BellyGrams by Maria, a successful entertainment company. Maria also co-founded a storytelling/musican/dance troupe called "Ziva Dunya" ("bright world"), developing a program "Tales & Rhythms from the Middle East" which they brought to schools, multicultural festivals, senior centers, etc., to great acclaim.
PHOTO CREDIT: This dramatic skirt photo was taken by Fritz Penning. |
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Maria has also worked with Broomfield Heights Middle School from 2000 to 2008, as a choreographer for the after school Dance Club Program. Maria has also been invited as a guest speaker/performer for the "Art Café" which had its premier at the Colorado Art Expo 2003. Maria has also been invited as guest dancer/teacher at women’s retreats, women’s events, and other cultural events in and around the country.
Maria has now retired from dance in order to pursue her education to become a Registered Nurse (RN). She is diligently studying and working as a nurse assistant while she pursues her degree.
Click on either of these two photos of Maria to see the image in more detail. |
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