With Her flowing dark hair, striking green eyes, pale skin, and 5-foot, 9-inch voluptuous frame, former model/actress, Esma Korn, who is half-Egyptian, half-Russian, was once touted the brunette Cheryl Tiegs. She appeared in countless commercials and billboard ads for products such as Cascade, Smirnoff vodka and Players cigarettes, as well as doing runway and print work. Thought she got too"old" for modeling, she believes that belly dancing is an ageless profession. "this I can do till I'm 80. The best belly dancers are the older ones," says the 40-something Korn.

Korn also works as a photographer's agent and holds a Master's degree in education.

"Belly dancing is the thinking person's dance," says Korn. "There's two rhythms in music. The Music's and you own. You talk to each other, and you need a large vocabulary. It's challenging, joyful, energetic and beautiful."

She once tried ballroom dancing and flamenco, the latter related to Middle Eastern dancing. But her feet took a beating with flamenco. "I had injuries from the constant pounding into the floor," she says. Then some suggest she try belly dancing. "I did a birthday party and baby shower, and before I knew it, I was no TV. I danced for the U.S. Ambassador to Morocco," she says.

When she dances, she's "zoned out" completely to the rhythms. And she has had her share of mishaps. During one of her first shows, her belt fell off. "I went into the bathroom an jabbed a pin into it, and a waiter took over my dance until I went back out. I made a lot of money that night. Sometimes we're like glued into these costumes. They weight 15-20 pounds each."

Last week, a Middle Eastern singer accidentally stood on her skirt and didn't realize it. "He thought I was flirting with him, "says Korn. All in all, belly dancing is the art of classy sex appeal rooted in ancient tradition. "We're ladies, not strippers," says Korn.