Summary: Robert Akeret, "Naomi:  The Dancer from the Dance"

Michelle Thomassian

Psychotherapist, Robert Akeret, accounts a special case of a young woman named Naomi.  Naomi is a stunningly beautiful woman who becomes Robert's patient during his practice as a novice psychological analyst at her university in New York.  A professor tricked her into therapy in order to make her become a 'lady'.  He claimed she was disruptive in class because she was so sexual and provocative.  Keep in mind this was in 1957...  

Naomi is a Jewish woman, ashamed of her identity.  She dripped of sexuality.  Soon, Robert discovers she had suffered from a childhood of complete rejection.  Her mother constantly called her a whore and wished for a boy instead, accompanied by her father's rejection, which came when she developed into a young woman with breasts.  Even Robert can't deny her beauty, although he remains professional most of the time.  Robert believes she suffers from 'delusion' because she claimed she was a dancer named Isabella Cortez in a past life.  He tries very hard to help her and tells her there is nothing 'crazy' about believing in reincarnation.   After all, there are millions of people in the world who believe in it.  The truth was, he did think she was mentally unstable.   

Naomi went to Mexico, took dance lessons and disowned her family.  When she returned she had a strong Spanish accent, became a dancer, and had changed her name to Isabella Cortez.  She met with Robert one last time before moving to Spain.  She duped Robert into touching her hands after dancing seductively then rejected him.  At that point he realized why all men were angry with her.  She humiliated men by having more sexual power than them.  Women weren't viewed as independents acting on their own sexual desires.  Isabella left his house that night and he was very worried about her.  35 years later, Robert decided to track her down.     

When he found her, she looked very young and lived alone in Miami.  She owned a poodle care center and had been a famous dancer in Spain for years.  She was rich, and on posters everywhere.  She married, then divorced after she reconciled with her mother.  Her husband and mother teamed up and made her feel rejected again.  She overcame it this time, and moved on.

Isabella told him she believed that lives are made up of many different identities, and that each person should have a right to possess them.  Robert confessed he felt guilty for ever thinking she was delusional.  He respected her for her sexuality and power and told her she was simply ahead of her time.  Finally when he dropped her off, he saw her new boyfriend.  She panics and tells Robert not to tell him her secret, that she is Jewish.