Before Viva!
was a burlesque performer she was a professional
belly dancer for almost ten years with Habeeba’s
Dance of the Arts, here in Columbus. She says,
“Coming from a family of beautiful Latina women I
have always been in touch with my sexual self.” And
being a belly dancer helped her tap into that
sexuality.
Mariah
from Cleveland, OH
“I learned that
femininity is empowering. And, what’s more
empowering than using my sexuality to entertain?
...I’m not really a gal who beats around the bush.
I’ve always wanted to be more ‘in your face.’
I had been toying with the idea of performing
burlesque for a few years before I actually took the
leap from belly dance to burlesque.
Dharma from Columbus, OH
In my opinion,
although there are obviously differences between
them, the transition from belly dancer to burlesque
striptease was quite natural. ”
