Malika Kalantarova

Malika Kolontarova (Tajik: Малика Қаландарова, Russian: Мазол (Малика) Яшуваевна Калантарова or Колонтарова; born 2 September 1950) is a Tajik–American dancer. She is known as the "Queen of Tajik and Oriental Dance." Kolontarova was born with the name Mazol to Yashuva Kolontarov and Tamara Khanimova Kolontarova (both originally from Samarkand, Uzbekistan), a religious Bukharian Jewish family in Dushanbe, Tajikistan and was the youngest of her 5 sisters and 2 brothers. Mazol's father Yashuva wanted her to become a hairdresser like her older sisters, but Malika refused and wanted to become a dancer instead. Her father later on let her pursue a career in dancing. Even though Kolontarova was rebellious as a child and had bigger dreams, she never forgot her roots, even when she became famous. Being Jewish was looked down upon in the Soviet Union and in Tajikistan but Malika proudly identified herself as a Bukharian Jew stating that since she is famous and admired, she does not feel the need to hide her Jewish identity. "Most Jewish people [in Tajikistan] say they are Tajik or they are Russian because Jews get no good work, no good pay," she says, "But once I'm famous, I'm not afraid. I say, 'Me Jewish.'" Kolontarova was trained in dance by Gh. Valamatzoda and Remziye Bakkal. Her director wanted her to change her name from Mazol to Malika. He said that Mazol sounded "too Jewish" and Malika means Queen in Arabic and Kolontarova danced like a Queen.