Today in Star Trek history: Cyia Batten and Tracy Middendorf are born

Cyia Batten and Tracy Middendorf, who both played Tora Ziyal on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, share a birthday

JANUARY 26, 2022 - Here’s a riddle: what do the Cardassian Tora Ziyal, the Terrellian Irina and the Orion Navaar have in common? Answer: they were all played by the same person, actress Cyia Batten, and it’s her 50th birthday that we’re celebrating today, January 26th, 2022. But she’s not the only one. More on that later.

Batten was born in 1972 in Locust Valley, New York, a hamlet on the North Shore of Long Island. She received classical dance training at NYC’s School of American Ballet, spending summers at the New York State School of the Arts, which only accepted 50 students out of a pool of a thousand applicants.

in the 1990s, she became an original member of the burlesque troupe The Pussycat Dolls. The group was founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995. The troupe, which also included future actress Christina Applegate, performed pop music standards from the 1950s and ‘60s while dressed in old-fashioned pin-up costumes and appeared every Thursday night at Los Angeles nightclub The Viper Room until 2001. The troupe eventually became a mainstream pop group and still performs today, albeit with different performers.

Batten has literally danced around the world, taking the title role of The Festival of the Siren in Sorrento, Italy and Aida with the Teatro Communal di Firenze.

The same year The Pussycat Dolls had their coming out party, Batten also made her acting debut in an episode of Red Shoe Diaries, with Carolyn Seymour, who Star Trek fans know as having played four roles in five episodes across two Trek series. She’s also been seen in multiple CSI series and Crossing Jordan.

Her film appearances include Charlier Wilson’s War, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (for which she learned how to ride a motorcycle in two days!) and Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. She also played a crystal meth addict in Cookers, for which she won Best Actress at Screamfest LA in 2005.

Working backwards, in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode “Bound” Batten put her dancing ability to good use as the Orion Navaar, who used her irresistable pheremones to enslave the crew of the ship, with the exception of T’Pol and Tucker. In Star Trek: Voyager’s “Drive,” as the Terrellian pilot Irina, Tom and Harry rescue her ship during a drag race. With her co-pilot injured, Harry takes his place and romace between the ensign and Irina ensues.

Tora Ziyal is well known to Deep Space Nine fans. She was the half-Bajoran, half-Cardassian daughter of Gul Dukat. Knowing Ziyal would never be accepted by either species, he sent her and her mother to a neutral planet once the Cardassian occupation of Bajor had ended. Things hadn’t gone as planned, though. Ziyal’s mother was killed and Ziyal had been captured by the Breen. Six years later, Dukat joined Major Kira Nerys on a rescue mission, bringing Ziyal back to Cardassia. That didn’t work out so well, either, and Ziyal wound up forging a life on DS9.

Ziyal turned out to be a beloved character and appeared in nine episodes. Batten was the original actress in the role, appearing in “Indiscretion” and “Return to Grace.” The role was recast after that second episode, with Tracy Middendorf taking it over. It just so happens that today we are also celebrating Middendorf’s 52nd birthday.

Middendorf, having been born in Miami Beach, Florida, attended the Conservatory of Theatrical Arts at SUNY Purchase in New York. She began her career, as many do, as a guest actress in Beverly Hills, 90210, Murder She Wrote, Angel, and Ally McBeal, among others. She also appeared in Six Feet Under, CSI (because who hasn’t?), 24, and Lost. She also had a recurring role as Babette in Boardwalk Empire.

She’s been seen on the silver screen in Mission Impossible 3 and Just Add Water, as well as Wes Craven’s New Nightmare. In 2015, she won an American Movie Award for Best Actress in the short film Snowflake. Middendorf has also appeared onstage in Miss Julie at Yale Repertory Theatre in Connecticut and Abundance at NYC’s Actors Company Theatre.

Middendorf only played Ziyal once, in the fan-favorite episode “For the Cause,” before the role went to Melanie Smith for the rest of the run. Smith’s birthday is in December, in case you were curious.

Please join us here at Daily Star Trek News in wishing both Cyia Batten and Tracy Middendorf wonderful birthdays!