During the early stages of Nilla Cook's Dance troupe, around the mid 1940s, the group performed in the presence of Princess Ashraf at the US embassy in Tehran. The performance aimed to launch the dance group and show the press and public that dancing was an art and not a disgrace, especially for young girls. One of these dances in this important performance was Kattaneh, a Kurdish folk song. The word Kattaneh translates to a Persian girl's name and the dance itself consisted of a group of boys who are flirting and pitting themselves against each other to win the affection of one girl. Haideh said that the night Kattaneh was performed was enchanted and left the audience spellbound! The stage was surrounded by heavily scented flower beds and trees with the calming sound of trickling water in the background. It was no surprise that the event was a success and received a "great deal of praise" with Princess Ashraf herself becoming their honorary director.