Ayşe Nene

Ayşe Nene — Biography

Born Kiash Nanah on 10 February 1936 in Beirut to Armenian parents, Ayşe Nene began her career as a dancer in 1954 before relocating first to France and then to Italy, where she became known as a belly dancer. She married Italian film director, screenwriter, and producer Sergio Pastore.

On 5 November 1958, an impromptu striptease she performed at a private party at the Rugantino restaurant in Rome's Trastevere district caused a nationwide scandal in Italy. The incident became a cultural touchstone, later inspiring the famous "orgy" scene in Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita, and cemented her place in Italian popular memory.

On screen, she appeared in films including The Lebanese Mission, I nuovi mostri, Images in a Convent, Storia di Piera, and King David. She died in Rome on 29 January 2014 at the age of 77.