Kanza Omar, from her 1935 paperwork towards American citizenship
Born
Kanza Bent Larbi
February 26, 1912
Marrakesh, Morocco
Died
March 6, 1958
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation
Dancer
Kanza Omar (February 26, 1912 – March 6, 1958), sometimes billed as Princess Kanza Omar, was a Moroccan dancer who appeared in Hollywood films in the 1940s and 1950s.
Early life and education
Omar was born in Marrakesh, according to her 1935 application for United States citizenship, filed in New York City under the name Kenza Bent Larbi.[1] However, publicity sometimes described her as Egyptian, Persian, or Syrian.[2][3] She moved to the United States with her first husband in 1927, and became a United States citizen in 1943.[4][5][6]
Omar danced at events and parties.[14] In 1942, Omar danced at a Los Angeles fundraiser for the USO, sponsored by the Syrian American Society.[15] In 1950, she performed at an international festival at UCLA.[16] In 1951, she danced at a New York City benefit for Palestinian refugees.[17] She toured as a dancer in the United States in the early 1950s, and was featured artist at the Attiyeh Benevolent Society's annual national meeting in 1952.[18][19] In 1953 she danced at a Hafli event in Los Angeles, accompanied by violinist Sami Shawa.[20] 1955 she performed at the Western Pacific Annual Mahrajan, sharing the bill with Danny Thomas, musician Elia Baida, and Toufic Barham's orchestra.[21]
^Kenza Bent Larbi's Declaration of Intention, filed in New York City on November 29, 1935, in the California, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1843-1999, via Ancestry
Neely Tucker, "Mystery Photos...Solved!"Timeless: Stories from the Library of Congress (December 17, 2020); a blog post featuring a photo of Kanza Omar
