When she arrived at her audition in cowboy boots, Alain Bernardin knew she needed an American stage name. “Nevada” came first. Then the options: Nova, Taxi, Zara. He chose the last one. And just like that, Zara Nevada was born. A name that would define Crazy Horse Paris in the 1980s and 90s.

It’s almost impossible to talk about that era without mentioning her. A soloist, and one of the strongest. Zara knew every number: Chain Gang, Berliner Pikanterie, Good Gal, Lay Laser Lay, The Lesson of Eroticism, Rotor Variation. A professional like no other, she could also step into group numbers, in any position, at any time. She was so essential that she was often called in on her days off. 

She began as a classical dancer, trained at the Paris Conservatory. Cabaret entered her life after a breakup. A need for distance took her to Japan, where she worked in a cabaret performing can-can and acrobatic numbers.

She joined Crazy Horse Paris in 1988, at a time when 18 dancers shared a stage barely 10m², a completely different scale from today. The discipline was intense. For the opening number, even a sergeant from the British Guard was brought in to train the dancers in military precision. The audience: Madonna, Prince, and Rod Stewart. It was one of the peak moments in the cabaret’s history.

A multidisciplinary artists, Zara is also a talented illustrator. Her trace was immortalized in the poster celebrating the 40th anniversary of Crazy Horse Paris.

“We were teated like princesses,” she later recalled. But that level of visibility came at a cost. Between shows, rehearsals, TV appearances, photoshoots, and press, there was barely time for anything else. Offers came her way, but being a Crazy Horse Paris dancer wasn’t just a job it was total commitment.

After seven years, she moved on to other stages like Le Milliardaire and the Royal Palace. Later, after becoming a mother, she expanded her repertoire. Learning samba through her Brazilian in-laws, then belly dance, and continued performing across the world.