“Bella” – Indeed [MOVIE REVIEW]
If you’ve never heard of Bella Lewitzky, here’s a chance to learn about one of the pioneers of modern dance in California. She definitely made a mark on the genre and Director Bridget Murnane wants to fill in that history. In 1934, little more than a teenager, Bella happened on a modern dance class led by Lester Horton, a self taught iconoclast of the genre who was making a name for himself outside the acknowledged mecca of the East Coast, home of Ruth St. Denis, Ted Shawn, Doris Humphrey and Martha Graham. Horton, self- taught, incorporated Native American culture and dance traditions into his choreography. Bella was an eager student and learned quickly, soon choreographing dances for the company as well. It was, in all likelihood, Horton’s free form movement and lack of rules that appealed to her at the beginning. She was an integral part of his frequently changing company. She eventually left, in 1950, frustrated by his commercial instincts. He supported the company by choreographing and having the company perform in low budget movies. Some of the best footage of Lewitzky dancing is as a native girl, a recurrent theme in the films for which Horton was employed, dancing on a…
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