Bella Lewitzky broke barriers as one of modern dance’s earliest innovators on the West Coast. Born in 1916 in rural California, she moved to Los Angeles as a teenager and caught the eye of pioneering choreographer Lester Horton. Horton saw her gifts and made Lewitzky a leading star in his racially integrated dance company. During their collaborations of the 1930s and 40s, Lewitzky helped establish what became known as the unique “Horton technique.”
A few decades later, director Bridget Murnane unveiled her documentary Bella. The film shares Lewitzky’s remarkable journey through archival footage and her own compelling voice. Viewers witness Lewitzky’s fluid dance style as well as her boundary-pushing collaborations. But the documentary does more than capture a brilliant career – it shows Lewitzky’s unwavering fight for creative freedom. When she resisted testifying during the McCarthy era witch hunts, her career faced brutal repercussions. Still, she refused to compromise her progressive values.
Bella brings Lewitzky’s inspiring legacy to new audiences. Through masterfully curated archives and interviews, it pays tribute to one of dance’s foremost visionaries. Most of all, the film honors Lewitzky’s lifelong struggle against censorship. Her persistence to bravely challenge constraints on expression continues driving creative souls even today.
Breaking Boundaries: How Bella Lets Lewitzky’s Legacy Shine Through
Director Bridget Murnane knew preserving Bella Lewitzky’s groundbreaking career required a creative approach. Retelling the pioneering dancer’s life through traditional narration wouldn’t do justice to Lewitzky’s boldness. Instead, Murnane built Bella around letting the artist speak for herself.
Through restored archival material and decades of interviews, Lewitzky’s compelling voice and vision emerge. We see glimpses of performances overshadowed by little more than rumor before now. Murnane animates the 1934 piece “Tierra y Libertad,” addressing the Spanish conquest of Mexico. More stunning collaborations followed, like a 1938 duet with Lester Horton based on a murder case.
Perhaps most fascinating are glimpses of Lewitzky in her element. Fluid footage captures her performances’ intensity and dynamism. Beyond technique, her passionate spirit radiates. It’s clear why Horton called Lewitzky his muse, as her talent helped establish West Coast modern dance. But this film ensures she’ll no longer be a footnote to others’ legacies.
By weaving Lewitzky’s own words throughout, Murnane grants the dancer agency too often denied women in dance history. We learn about influential partnerships in Lewitzky’s words – from designers like Rudi Gernreich to architect husband Newell Reynolds. Most importantly, Lewitzky discusses facing persecution during the Red Scare and fighting censorship later in life. Her eloquence conveying these challenges makes her triumph all the more inspiring.
Through masterful use of Lewitzky’s interviews and restored performances, Bella restores the visionary dancer’s voice. By prioritizing her perspective, the film preserves not just a pioneering career, but a revolutionary spirit challenging norms both in dance and in society.
Fearless Visionary of Modern Dance
Bella Lewitzky found her calling early, joining the groundbreaking Lester Horton Dance Group in 1934. Working alongside Horton proved transformative – through his tutelage and collaborative spirit, she helped establish the Horton technique. This uniquely West Coast style embraced elements from Native American dance, prioritizing fluid improvisation.
Performing Horton’s daring, socially conscious works like “Tierra y Libertad” saw Lewitzky praised as a spellbinding talent. She excelled at portraying complex emotions through fluid, articulate movements. But opportunities for dancers were scarce in the Depression era. Like many, Lewitzky supplemented her performance income with projects for the Federal Theatre Project.
When the political tides turned in the 1950s, Lewitzky faced her greatest challenge. As a former socialist, she was blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee investigations. Unable to find work in film, a decade passed before she performed again. Yet this trial strengthened her resolve to advocate for arts and expression.
Undeterred, in 1966 Lewitzky founded her own influential company. Well into her 60s, she continued dancing and choreographing with boundless energy and creativity. Her collaborative spirit nourished emerging talents like Carmen de Lavallade and nurtured pioneers such as fashion designer Rudi Gernreich. Together they redefined what modern dance could accomplish through seamless mixing of skills.
But Lewitzky was just getting started. When the NEA demanded she sign an “anti-obscenity pledge” in 1990, this fearless figure refused to compromise her principles. Though her company suffered, her landmark legal battle altered such requirements for good. To the very end, Bella Lewitzky proved a formidable force for protecting artists’ freedoms through her visionary work in modern dance.
Remembering a Dance Visionary
The documentary offers invaluable perspectives from those who knew Bella Lewitzky best. We gain fresh insight into what drove her seminal work.
Carmen de Lavallade recalls Bella’s ferocious determination as a dancer. Despite humble beginnings on a farm, Lewitzky possessed an uncanny “athleticism and strength.” This fueled her rise with Lester Horton’s company. There, Alvin Ailey also benefited from her teachings and guidance as “director of students.” Both went on to major success – a testament to the seeds she planted.
Walter Kennedy dancing under Lewitzky for two decades. He marvels at her imagination: “The way she would see the body and the space was so unique.” She envisaged new ways of utilizing levels and defying gravity. Collaborating closely, Kennedy helped restore one seminal piece. Its spirited lifts and levels showcase Bella’s borderless vision for human movement.
Sean Greene similarly benefited from years performing in her company. When asked Lewitzky’s greatest strength, he reflects that “she was really interested in people developing to their potential.” Conducting regular workshops worldwide, her impact endures through passionate students. They carry her flame for using art to build community and highlight societal issues.
Even in later life, Lewitzky led with quiet resolve. Larry Attaway remembers her principled refusal of funding that compromised her values. Such opinions only grew fiercer with age. Despite setbacks, Lewitzky affirmed that “art can change people.” Through those who knew her best, the documentary celebrates a dance visionary who stayed devoted to that creed until the very end.
Living Artfully Until the End
Bella Lewitzky danced well into her sixties, showing no signs of slowing down. In 1966, she formed her own dance company in Los Angeles, creating works until the late 1990s. Through it all, her art remained a vehicle for social themes.
Lewitzky brought dancers together across barriers. Her company included people of all backgrounds, dedicating performances to raising awareness. Works tackled injustice, the human experience, and our shared hopes. She collaborated freely, welcoming new ideas from partners in music, design, and architecture.
Always an advocate, Lewitzky faced censorship directly in her later years. When the National Endowment for the Arts mandated an “anti-obscenity” pledge for grants, it echoed past efforts to silence dissent. Though her art contained nothing offensive, Lewitzky refused to sign on principle.
She organized a press conference at the site of past “red scare” hearings. There, Lewitzky made clear that such policies aim to control thought, not pornography. Without the funding, her company disbanded—but her stand reinforced that artistic freedom demands constant vigilance.
This fight showed Lewitzky’s fiery spirit remained. Well into her eighties, she continued teaching and supported young choreographers. When health wavered, her dedication to art and social change did not. Lewitzky left a fitting legacy through both her work and lifelong commitment to using creativity as a force for good.
She proved dance could pose questions, bring understanding and start difficult conversations. Until the very end, Bella Lewitzky lived artfully and advocated for expression that enhances our shared humanity.
Dancing into the Future
This film ensures Bella Lewitzky’s revolutionary spirit lives on. Through live footage and interviews, we glimpse a life spent refining dance as powerful activism. By sharing new styles and addressing injustice through movement, Lewitzky pushed boundaries.
She inspired generations as a teacher too. Many great choreographers cite Lewitzky as formative—proof of her dedication to advancing the art form. Even facing blacklists, Lewitzky danced to change minds. And her refusal to sign censorship forms shows how valiantly she defended expression.
Bridget Murnane captures Lewitzky’s essence with care and care. By letting the subject’s own words take center stage, a full picture forms. We appreciate Lewitzky not just as a dancer but a complex woman of conviction. Her story sparks reflections on navigating adversity through authentic, soulful work.
Preserving legacies like Lewitzky’s matters immensely. Her impact shaped American modern dance nationwide. By bringing this film to new audiences, another chapter in that influence starts. As Lewitzky said, we must keep past creative lights alive to counter threats facing the arts. This documentary honors her in the best way: by dancing with her into the future.
The Review
Bella
Director Bridget Murnane has succeeded in her goal - capturing the essence of Bella Lewitzky through letting the visionary speak for herself. This intimate documentary brings Lewitzky's pioneering spirit to new audiences. Both entertaining and illuminating, it pays fitting tribute to an artist who transformed dance into defiant expression.
PROS
- Features rare archival footage of Lewitzky's performances
- Lets Lewitzky tell her own story through extensive interviews
- Provides historical and social context for Lewitzky's life and work
- Inspiring portrayal of Lewitzky's commitment to artistic freedom and values
- Pays tribute to an influential yet underrecognized figure in modern dance
CONS
- May lack context for viewers unfamiliar with mid-20th century dance scene
- Some technical dance sequences could benefit from more detailed explanation
- Offers less analysis of Lewitzky's specific choreographic works and style
