The Real Jodette

Nozha salim

New member
Recently, I found an older thread regarding the late Jodette Silhi Johnson. I guess it all goes to myth sooner or later. But I, actually, knew Jodette. I was a member of her troupe from 1972-1974.



Back then, Jodette taught at all the Y’s (YMCA, YWCA). She owned a little shop on a street in Sacramento, CA. In 1973, we danced every night sometimes making $500 a weekend in tips. After work, we would all load in to her much-too-large Cadillac (Being only 5 foot nothing, she needed to sit on a large phone book and wear really high platform shoes.) and head to San Francisco.



Her real past, or what I know from being around her, is this; she was born in Jordan, she met and married a Texas oil man named, Carl Johnson. I know Carl was EXTREMELY protective of her and they had 3 sons while living in Sacramento. He sponsored her mother’s visa. Mrs. Silhi was a tiny woman ; with a tribal tattooed face and a very loud yell. Around 1974, I went to New York and worked there. When I came back, I saw her on the news; a much older (calmer?), stylishly coiffed Jodette doing charity work. Later, I heard she had died.



Things were different back then. Jodette liked to just barge in. Carl made that happen. Sort of like, #90DayFiance but better….
 

Shanazel

Moderator
Thank you for the story, Nozha, and welcome to OD. I didn't follow the last sentence. Barge in where? How did Carl make it happen? What is #90DayFiance?
 

Zorba

"The Veiled Male"
I've heard all sorts of stories about Jodette - some of them less complimentary than others. Never met her though...
 

Nozha salim

New member
Thank you for the story, Nozha, and welcome to OD. I didn't follow the last sentence. Barge in where? How did Carl make it happen? What is #90DayFiance?
She would literal walk up to any large group of people and introduce herself. Carl would then speak to whom ever was in charge and next thing we knew, we were dancing! FYI #90DayFiance is a TV show where usually a man goes to a foreign country and in 90 days, brings home a bride ..
 

Greek Bonfire

Well-known member
I don't know if there is another thread, but Hadia of Canada and Leyla Jouvana both passed last week. I never took anything from Leyla but Hadia was a gem.
 

Shanazel

Moderator
Please, good souls, let us embrace the old adage of whether or not to relate a story about another person:

Is it true?

Is it kind?

Is it necessary?

Thank you.
 

Tourbeau

Active member
I don't know if there is another thread, but Hadia of Canada and Leyla Jouvana both passed last week. I never took anything from Leyla but Hadia was a gem.
How sad! I didn't know Leyla, but I had a chance to study a little with Hadia many years ago. She was a wonderful teacher and a beautiful dancer.

I was very fortunate to take some private lessons with her when I had only been dancing about a year. Our group and another group a few states over had booked her for two-day workshops on consecutive weekends and she didn't want to travel back home in between, so she split the week between the locations. She taught an extra workshop for our group on one of the weekdays, and she was hoping to kill some of the rest of the time offering private lessons. She only booked four slots, and I was two of them. To this day, I cannot believe how many of my class-/troupe-mates said, "Oh, I would have loved to have taken a private lesson with her, but I spent all of my money on the vendors at the workshop!"

Ooookaaaay.

You could have taken a personalized class with one of the best teachers in North America, and you bought two more hip scarves instead. I guess it's a good thing one of the workshop vendors wasn't selling magic beans, or you'd have traded the family cow, too, Jack.
 

Greek Bonfire

Well-known member
How sad! I didn't know Leyla, but I had a chance to study a little with Hadia many years ago. She was a wonderful teacher and a beautiful dancer.

I was very fortunate to take some private lessons with her when I had only been dancing about a year. Our group and another group a few states over had booked her for two-day workshops on consecutive weekends and she didn't want to travel back home in between, so she split the week between the locations. She taught an extra workshop for our group on one of the weekdays, and she was hoping to kill some of the rest of the time offering private lessons. She only booked four slots, and I was two of them. To this day, I cannot believe how many of my class-/troupe-mates said, "Oh, I would have loved to have taken a private lesson with her, but I spent all of my money on the vendors at the workshop!"

Ooookaaaay.

You could have taken a personalized class with one of the best teachers in North America, and you bought two more hip scarves instead. I guess it's a good thing one of the workshop vendors wasn't selling magic beans, or you'd have traded the family cow, too, Jack.

I took one workshop with her and she never came back here because I think she was so in demand, but she's the only instructor that ever, after teaching a workshop, my body felt better because of her fantastic knowledge in physical therapy!
 
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