Marliza Pons-Perfection!
In four decades, Marliza Pons has left her iconic mark on the Las Vegas bellydance scene. She has acted in movies, danced in nightclubs and concert theatres all over the country. She was brought to Las Vegas in 1965 from her home town of Chicago to star in “Cleopatra’s Nymph’s of the Nile” dance revue and stayed. In 1972, she opened her own dance studio Marliza's Magic Carpet Dance Studio. She was well known for successfully creating the annual International Belly Dance Convention, which ran from 1975-1987. It has always been her dream to unite all bellydance aficionados, to promote “Dance Orientale” as an art form, to share her vast knowledge, and to raise the level of respect for this dance equal to that of ballet. She moved back to Chicago in 2001 to care for her Moms (birth and foster), and returned to Las Vegas in 2005 with a renewed desire to teach an amazing wealth of dance technique. With her vast performance knowledge and many decades of teaching, she planned to present workshop offerings once again, write her memoirs, design costumes and release an instructional video of her brand of danse orientale. She remained bubbly and upbeat always wanting to hear the latest news of the bellydance world and what all the dancers were up to. The internet was a new avenue of media she could never quite comprehend.
She had a fall onto the pavement from a bus that was carrying her dance company to a gig that eventually hindered her movement from that day forward. She was in a metal brace for several years. She was told surgery was her only answer but she kept looking and hoping for another way to heal her back. She moved to Apple Valley for a spell with her good friend and photographer from the Flamingo and Tropicana, Ken. He had her dressed in Medieval costumes and participating in local Renaissance Faires. She really enjoyed being a part of the scene and Ken’s company but was homesick for Las Vegas. She returned and found a modest apartment near Valley View and Sahara and was happy her son had moved nearby to check on her. She tried to keep up daily walks but had some slips at home, breaking her wrist and her ankle twice. She grew more frail during the last few months, was often depressed that she couldn’t move and get around as she used to, her allergies would bother her but mainly laughed off all the things that annoyed her on a daily basis. She got around with an electric chair and finally got an aide to assist her with personal chores. Nothing was going to hold her back.
She made appearances at Carnival of Stars with long time friend Tanya Lemani-George, attended the pre-convention media dinner for the International Belly Dance Convention where she was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for her countless contributions to Bellydance, and most recently, the Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive in 2010 where she was surrounded by old friends, admirers and past students.
On Sunday May 1, 2011, Marliza was rushed by ambulance to Valley Hospital in Las Vegas. She was immediately taken into surgery. Although the doctors doctors were initially optimistic, they worked on her leaking aortic aneurysm for hours, but she wasn't strong enough this time and slipped away in the early hours of Monday morning.
Marliza may have departed but her legacy lives on in all those she taught and inspired. She was one of the great pioneers of Middle Eastern dance in America and is probably doing a bit of catching up right now in dance heaven with Bobby Farrah and Serena Wilson. Look up tomorrow and send her gratitude for a life well lived and imagine her doing a few hands circles back to let you know she is doing just fine.
See http://www.gildedserpent.com/articles12/marlizapons.htm for more Marliza.
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