erhan ay says the garment has to fit just right.ly dancer, he spends lots of time at tailors and cloth merchants in his home city, istanbul. erhan: in istanbul, you have got unlimited possibilities. there's an abundance of all kinds of accessories and fabrics. reporter: ay designed this garment himself. he's going to perform in it for the first time later in the evening. the historic quarter of istanbul on the golden horn. this is where erhan ay dances regularly at venues. mail that he will -- male belly dancers have long been a tradition in turkey. they emerged during the ottoman empire because women dancers were only allowed to perform for women. although the male performers were reputed to be homosexual, they were widely appreciated. but over time, women replaced men on the stage. for decades male dancers could only perform at private parties or in nightclubs for gay men. erhan: people still look askance at male belly dancers in a conservative society like turkey's. that's got a great deal to do with prejudice. my sexual orientat