Dawn Devine Legendary Turkish dancer Özel Türkbaş dominated the international belly dance scene during the 1970s. She toured the world, produced albums, and wrote books. Özel danced for celebrities and heads of state, walked red carpets, and appeared in movies and television. She was a multi-talented superstar with an international following who helped whet the American appetite for belly dance.
Turkish Career
Özel was born into an entertainment family and honed her skills in singing and dance. Her mother, a working professional dancer, trained Özel in the traditional way, naturally and in the course of daily life, bringing her and her sister along to events. Along with her sister, Tancan, the duet “Özel Kardesklar,” or The “Özel Sisters.”
Özel made the move from Ankara to Istanbul to work in the world of entertainment at a higher level, and found work in nightclubs, restaurants, and was talent spotted and found work in films. IMDB has 7 film appearances listed, though her official biography says the number is 14. There are a few movie clips of Özel from her 1950s era film career.
Clip of from “The Bride from Bursa” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvmRBl_Uscw
Özel met her husband on the set of a film, the two were wed and they started a new chapter in her life. Her acclaim for her dance lead to a period of intense travel and touring. They ultimately landed in New York City.
Ozel comes to the US
In 1958, Özel arrived in the US and spent the 1960s touring the US. With her husband as manager, they travelled the world, circulating at an elite level. She performed belly dance in front of heads of state, celebrities, and in her own large stage show. She famously walked red carpet at Canne Film Fest in 1970.
Some of her career highlights include performing as the lead character in the opera Thais. In this production she was able to showcase all of her talents, bringing together singing, dancing, and acting in one triumphant performance.
Özel in the 1970s - Albums
During the 1970s Özel was based in NYC where she performed frequently between US and International tours. With 10 years of dancing under her belt, she turned her attention to bringing traditional Turkish music to the growing population of belly dance students, hobbyists, and professionals.
Her albums include:
1972 - “How to Make Your Husband a Sultan - Belly Dance with Özel Türkbaş
1973 - “How to Dance for your Sultan”
1975 - “Alla-Turca” (The Turkish Way)
1976 - “Dance into Your Sultan’s Heart”
1977 - “Music For Belly Dancing”
1978 - “Kismet Belly Dance with Özel”
Several of these LPs included liner notes with details on how to dance and were the inspiration for producing a longer format publications.
Özel Türkbaş - Author - “The Belly Dancer In You”
Early in the 1970s, belly dancing surged in popularity. Several US-based dancers produced instructional books. By 1976, you might find anywhere from 3 to 10 different books available for sale on the shelf of your local bookstore.
Özel who had already written short instructional booklets for her albums, produced the seminal Turkish belly dance book, “The Belly Dancer in You.” She parlayed her international fame and her Turkish roots to propel her book ahead of the pack. Marketing for the publication stressed that it was the only “authentic” belly dancing instructional book.
The pocket version of the book can be read for free on the Internet Archive.
The larger trade paperback on the left is printed on glossy paper with bigger and better-quality images. If you’re a collector, I would recommend the larger format version.
Özel Türkbaş - Turkish Chef - “The Turkish Cookbook”
After her success and critical acclaim of “The Belly Dancer in You,” Özel took on another writing project. The last chapter of “The Belly Dancer in You,” included a small collection of Turkish recipes. With her love of cooking, Özel expanded the small collection of recipes into a full cookbook.
During this time, she appeared on the talk show circuit, promoting her two books and growing collection of albums.
YouTube has a clip from her appearance on the “Dinah Shore Show” showcasing both her dancing and cooking skills.
If you would like to read this cookbook, it’s also available on the Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/turkishcookbook0000ozel
Özel Türkbaş Post-Belly Dance
When Özel settled down to focus on her family om 1978, her and her husband opened a Turkish restaurant in New York City. She continued to share her dance in workshops around the United States. She worked with Bobby Farrah and Paul Monty in the very early days of belly dance festivals. Dancing for women gave her the opportunity to share her talents outside of the nightclub when her children were young.
With the advent of the VHS player, Özel produced an instructional belly dance video, “How to Belly Dance - Turkish Delight.” She presents some basic dance moves and teaches a Turkish snap. But the best part of this video is her performance at the end.
You can check out the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ayf2HwAuBNw
Özel’s Legacy
Through her publications, recordings, and appearances, Özel has left a lasting legacy in our world of dance. With YouTube you can hunt down clips of her performances. One of the most unusual video clips I’ve unearthed in my research is this lovely moment on a 2015 edition of Antiques Roadhsow. In this episode, Özel’s daughter and an appraiser discuss the value of one of her costumes. It’s a delightful sneak peak at a costume from the late ‘80s - ‘90s.
Starting Place for More Research
If you would like to find more information about Turkish dance superstar Ozel, why not try one of these sites as a jumping-off point for further research?
Özel’s official website: http://www.ozelturkbas.com/
Fantastic Bio of Özel on Gilded Serpent: https://www.gildedserpent.com/cms/2012/07/31/jezibell-bennu-ozel-turkbas/#axzz3bSgIMsGG
Özel Türkbaş on IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1252
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