Columnist Jerry Fink: Mazer isn’t belly-aching about her career

Friday, April 25, 2003 | 9:04 a.m.

Jerry Fink's lounge column appears on Fridays. Reach him at jerry@lasvegassun.com at (702) 259-4058.

Belly dancing isn't common entertainment fare in Las Vegas lounges, not like in the Middle East and parts of Europe where it's part of the culture.

"It's in the blood," said Anita Afanasio Mazer, the resident belly dancer at Romy's Cafe on 8565 W. Sahara Ave.

Mazer is part of the Greek entertainment at Romy's (also known as Teddy's Bistro) on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The music begins at 10 p.m. and lasts until whenever everyone decides it's time to end the party.

"The party sometimes lasts till 5 or 6 in the morning," said Teddy Daginis, who ran the Kitchen Cafe for many years. The Kitchen, which has closed, was a favorite hangout for a lot of local musicians who held jam sessions on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Daginis has brought his tradition of offering after-dinner music and a party atmosphere with him to Romy's.

"After dinner, we go crazy," Daginis quipped. "You can do almost anything you want -- drink, dance, break dishes, toss money, pass out on the table."

Mondays through Thursdays there is dinner music followed by light American jazz.

Daginis, who features a Greek and Italian menu, has a huge following of diners whose roots are in the Balkan nations, especially Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria.

Mazer, a native of Bulgaria, came to the United States four years ago on a vacation, fell in love with the country and decided to make it her home.

"It's a great country and Las Vegas is a great entertainment town," said Mazer, who is half Greek.

Mazer said music and belly dancing are an integral part of the culture in many European countries.

"Everybody belly dances," she said.

Mazer began dancing professionally when she was about 15 in her father's restaurant in Frankfort, Germany. She continued dancing for her father's customers when he bought a resort restaurant in Bulgaria on the Black Sea.

"I do enjoy it," she said. "But some customers just look at you, and don't get too excited. Others start clapping and get involved with you. I like that."

She says while many people in Europe know how to belly dance, most have only one move.

Professionals have a wide variety of motions, each depending upon whether the dance is rooted in Greece, Egypt or Turkey or any of the other nations where belly dancing is a tradition.

"Mine is mixed," Mazer said. "It depends on customers. If we have a lot of Arabic customers, I dance more their style."

Not all of the moves are with the belly. Depending on the type of dance that is being done, the movement also is with the eyes, hands and other parts of the anatomy.

"Specific moves mean specific things," Mazer said. "You just have to know what they mean."

She moves more than her belly. Mazer's mind moves easily from subject to subject.

She speaks seven languages and has degrees in education and in hotel and restaurant marketing and management.

"I like what I do," she said, her philosophical side coming out. "You can't always do what you want in this life. You have to find a way to take control. You have to find a way to build your own life, otherwise your life is a waste."

If she ever tires of belly dancing, she says she will think about a different career.

"Maybe in 10 years or so I will go into the hotel business," Mazer said.

But for now she's happy getting belly laughs.

Lounging around

The Carl Ferris Trio, part of the jazz ensemble, "Safe Sax," will perform at 6 p.m Tuesday at the new House of Lords steakhouse at the Sahara.

The Nathan Tanouye Sextet will be featured in the city of Las Vegas' First Friday concert May 2. Music at City Park, across from City Hall at Fourth Street and Stewart Avenue, begins at 4 p.m. The sextet includes trombonist Tanouye, drummer Chris Behnam, bassist Kevin Thomas, trumpeter Mike Gonzales, saxophonist Rusty Blevins and pianist Mike Eckroth.

Soul Desire is now performing in the Big Apple Bar at New York-New York. Group founders Tony Perry and Tezz Yancey were original stars of "Starlight Express," which played at the Hilton for several years. Reva Rice, who was the lead actress in "Starlight," is Soul Desire's featured singer and dancer. The cast also includes Avis Nixon. Showtimes are 9:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and 9:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Dark Tuesdays.

May's lineup of entertainment for the Boulder Blues Series at Boulder Station's Railhead Lounge includes the Rick Holmstrom Band (Thursday); Guitar Shorty (May 8); Hamilton Loomis (May 15); Little Charlie and the Nightcats (May 22) and Mark May (May 29). The free performances begin at 8 p.m. Thursdays.

Blowin' Smoke Rhythm & Blues Band, with Larry "Fuzzy" Knight and the Smokettes, will perform at the Cannery tonight and Saturday from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Latin Vida will be the featured entertainment May 2 to May 3.

Hip-hop night is every Tuesday at the Palms' ghostbar. Producer John Huntington presents DJ Danny Love starting at 8 p.m.

Entertainment at the East Las Vegas Community/Senior Center May 10 will include the Golden Tappers, Dos Culturas Mariachi de Miguel Curiel, Ballet Colombiano, ukulele musicians, Rancho High School Band and students from Sunrise Acres Elementary School. The free event will be from noon until 4 p.m.