DIANE WEBBER

Russ Meyer, film director and photographer, also submitted Diane's photo to Playboy, not realizing she had already been in the magazine. She was chosen again, although Hefner decided he wanted the layout to be vertical and not horizontal. Meyer was asked to re-shoot the layout even though Diane was six months pregnant at this time. Her second appearance was in Feb 1956. It is an urban myth that Diane was the first to show pubic hair in this issue of Playboy. That honor went to Paula Kelly in an August 1969 pictorial

Coinciding with Diane's second centerfold was the birth of her son John. Wishing to keep the birth natural, Diane found a midwife and chiropractor to help in the delivery. The birth took place in the doctor's office and Diane, Joe and baby John returned home to Malibu the same day

Diane continued to pursue her career taking lessons from noted acting teacher Jeff Corey with other aspiring actors of the time including Richard Chamberlain. Needing a substitute teacher at one point, Corey had one of his prior students take over, namely Leonard Nimoy (before his days as Spock on Star Trek)

Joe Webber taught Diane to swim and she also became a certified SCUBA diver. This got her work as an underwater stunt person and eventually led to her starring role in "The Mermaids of Tiburon" written, produced and directed by John Lamb. The film was released in 1962

PRESS KIT PROMO AIMED AT THEATER OWNERS, NOT USED FOR PUBLIC ADS

Diane had had to give up ballet due to a previous knee injury. She went to a Middle Eastern night club with friends, saw a belly dancer and realized this was a dance form she could do. At the time, unlike ballet, there were no formal classes to learn belly dancing. Diane approached both Aisha Ali and Nadia Simone to ask them to teach her, both agreed and once Diane had learned the finer points of belly dancing, she began appearing at clubs under the name Hedia (a name of Greek origin meaning pleasent)

Diane Webber - belly dancer

NADIA
SIMON

In 1966, noted Middle Eastern musician and comedian Guy Chookoorian needed a third dancer for a show in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Diane was recommended to him and she was hired. Since many people in the audience recognized her as Marguerite Empey or Diane Webber, Guy urged her to simply use her own name. From then on she was Diane Webber, belly dancer.

FRESNO BEE NOVEMBER 2, 1966

MUSICIANS GUY CHOOKOORIAN

GIL SERABIAN

JOE DABNEY

DANCERS HELENA VLAHOS AND DIANE WEBBER

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Diane continued to tour with Guy's Middle Eastern show the rest of 1966 in places like The Cascades in Anaheim Ca., Pisano Club in Lawndale Ca, Keyboard Lounge in Gardena Ca., The Arabian Nights in Fresno Ca., and in early 1967 at the HiLife in Bakersfield Ca. Diane left the show after this engagement but continued dancing at The Fez in Hollywood, Ca. She also began dancing at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Agoura Ca., appearing on the smaller of the two stages.

Renaissance Pleasure Faire

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Photo by Peter Borsari

While appearing at the Renaissance Faire in 1967, Diane was approached by a representative of Everywoman's Village in Van Nuys, Ca. a women for women teaching center founded in 1963. She was asked to teach belly dancing and once again accepted the job offer. The classes became very popular, topping 40 classes a week. In 1968, using her students, Diane formed "The Perfumes of Araby" dance troupe to perform at the Renaissance Faire. Diane and her troupe of 40 dancers took over the main stage with Diane performing a solo as the finale. Diane choreographed numerous group dances such as the beledi and the 9/8. The show consisted of these group dances intermingled with specialty solos like balancing a candelabra or dancing with a live snake. The troupe danced there until 1972 when the Faire decided that only "Olde English" entertainment was to be allowed.

The Perfumes of Araby on the main stage, featuring Patty Farber, creator of the look of the costumes and for choreographing numerous group dances

The Perfumes of Araby on the main stage, featuring Patty Farber, who was responsible for the look of the costumes and choreographing many of the group dances

TOO SEXY FOR THE FAIRE

JACK FARLEY'S PUMPKIN FESTIVAL

Diane and the troupe then moved to "Jack Farley's Pumpkin Festival" held every October in Calabasas, Ca., and later in Chatsworth Ca., and finally in Sylmar Ca.

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CALTECH PASADENA CA

"The Perfumes of Araby" also performed annually in Pasadena Ca. the week before finals in order to relieve student tension.

Los Angeles Times Oct 11, 1973

CALTECH 1973

CALTECH 1977

PERFUMES OF ARABY LOGO ART BY ALICIA AUSTIN

DIANE WEBBER-NUDIST

In 1967, Diane and Joe were featured in a magazine titled "Naked and Together, The Wonderful Webbers". It was written by June Lange and published by Elysium Press, a company run by June's husband Ed Lange. It was around this time that the Webbers left the Naturist clubs because the original purpose of a healthy life style had been supplanted by more sexual overtones.

BEAU 1967

SEA OF DREAMS

In 1975 Diane and Joe bought a Fuji ketch and docked it in Marina del Rey, Ca. The boat was built in Japan and in accordance with Japanese tradition, they had a boat blessing ceremony conducted by a Buddhist priest. They moved from Malibu to the boat and lived on board, occasionally taking the boat to Catalina

Diane continued to teach at Everywoman's Village and dance with the troupe at the Pumpkin Festival and Caltech. By 1977 Diane was fazing out her performances. 1977 was her last solo at Caltech, 1979 was the last solo at the Pumpkin Festival. The Pumpkin Festival could not find a permanent home and thus 1979 was also it's last year. Diane decided to disband "The Perfumes of Araby". Diane continued to teach at Everywoman's Village, illustrate the Star Trek stories she wrote with writing partner Carol Padgett and make belly dance costumes

STANLEY SEIGEL SHOW 1981

ART OF EMPEY

THE KISS

In 1986 Joe Webber filed for divorce, the boat was sold and Diane moved to the Sunland-Tujunga area of Los Angeles. She took a job at a Santa Monica law firm maintaining the law library to support herself. She attended Pierce College in the San Fernando valley, taking animal husbandry after which she fulfilled her childhood dream of owning a horse. She purchased the rights to a foal from a student of hers that also owned horses. Thus she came to own Silver Shaman, an Arabian stallion. Eventually she was offered the opportunity to purchase a Lipizzaner mare and purchased Sedonna, a prize winning show horse.

SEDONNA

Diane taught belly dancing at Everywoman's Village until the 1990's, gave classes at the Parzart Center in the valley until the 2000's and gave private lessons.

Diane continued teaching, taking care of her horses and working at the law firm in Santa Monica until her untimely death at the age of 76 in 2008 from complications following surgery for colon cancer.