Bella...And Bella She Was

When new music was needed he often wrote it himself.  He taught his dancers to design costumes, to make masks, to experiment with make-up and lighting.  One student, Newell Reynolds, began courting Bella and a year later they married. While Bella rose to become principal soloist of the Horton troupe, Newell grew interested in theatrical architecture, studied, and eventually worked with R. M. Schindler and Welton Becket.  Their union produced a lovely dancer, Nora. Dreams often need to be realized, and in 1966 Bella formed the Lewitzky Dance Company.  At first it was just women but soon men necessitated their inclusion and now  over 30 years later, the Company has become one of the leading modern dance companies in the world, performing to critical acclaim in 20 countries on five continents and 43 of our United States.  Chronologically the above seems a relatively simple through line.  Not so!  It would be remiss not to mention a few fascinating distractions like dancing in WHITE SAVAGE, assisting Agnes DeMille on the film OKLAHOMA, assisting Hanya Holm on THE VAGABOND KING, understudying Janet Collins in OUT OF THIS WORLD (NY).  "I even danced at the Follies Bergere... (pause)... and I hated every minute of it." says Bella with a wry smile. (The PageTemp Cliping)

 Photo, right : Terese Capucilli was deeply influenced by Bella.

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