Thursday, 5/15/97 Lewitzky Company to deliver farewell
performance DANCE: Sadness, tributes surround tour’s end to 30
years of universal fame
By Kristi Nakamura Daily Bruin Contributor Champagne. Applause.
A little sadness. An era in modern dance will come to an end this
weekend with the final performances of Los Angeles’ Lewitzky Dance
Company. The Lewitzky Dance Company will end its 1997 Farewell Tour
Saturday and Sunday at California State University, Los Angeles in
conjunction with 11 Los Angeles-area presenters. The presenters,
with the exception of the Cerritos Center for the Arts, include
organizations and individuals with whom the Lewitzky Dance Company
has historical relationships. "I don’t think it’s ever happened
that 11 (institutions) have gotten together to co-present, 11 who
usually consider each other – although they’re colleagues, they’re
also sort of competitors – and I think that’s a really good tribute
to Bella (Lewitzky) and the company that they’ve done that and I
think Bella feels very pleased and grateful for that," Ruth Eliel,
managing director for the company, said. Bella Lewitzky, artistic
director and choreographer, founded the Lewitzky Dance Company in
1966 and danced with the company until 1978. She led the company to
international acclaim, performing in 43 states and 20 countries on
five continents. The Lewitzky Dance Company consists of 10
solo-caliber dancers who tour nationally and internationally for
half of the year and spend the other half in Los Angeles
performing, training and creating new pieces. One of the only top
modern dance companies in the United States based outside New York,
the company celebrated its 30th anniversary and Lewitzky’s 80th
birthday last year. Lewitzky stated then that she was ready to
disband her company and close this chapter of her life. Lewitzky
says she has no regrets, even though she was not able to secure
enough funding to leave the company to her daughter, Nora Daniel,
and to Susan Rose, a former Lewitzky dancer, as she had hoped. "I
think she’s really ready to kind of make the transition," says
Eliel of Lewitzky’s decision to disband the company. However, these
last performances do not come without sadness. During a morning
rehearsal, one dancer in the wings watched the other dancers on
stage. Later she commented that she felt sad because she was not
going to be dancing with them anymore. After the company’s last
out-of-town performance May 9 in Tacoma, Wash., they celebrated
with glasses of champagne. This was their last chance for an
intimate farewell because too many people are expected at this
weekend’s shows. Lewitzky’s plans for the future remain undecided
at the present. Choreographing, teaching and spending more time
with her grandchildren are options she has talked about. "It
depends what day you catch (Lewitzky) what she’ll tell you she’s
thinking about doing," Eliel said. As for the dancers in the
company, some are looking for jobs in other companies. Others plan
to stay in the area and do some of their own choreography and
teaching. "One of the … ironies about this whole situation,"
Eliel said, "is that these company members have been teaching at
colleges and universities all across the country for years because
that’s always been a major part of what this company does in
residencies. Bella has placed a lot of emphasis on teaching because
she believes in it and she feels it gives the dancers a second
career, and then they can get hired to teach at a college or
university without having an MFA." Attending the University of
Illinois to earn his MFA is exactly what Walter Kennedy, the most
senior dancer in the Lewitzky Dance Company, plans to do. Before
enrolling at the university, Kennedy will perform and choreograph
with other talented dancers in "The Yard," an invitation-only dance
collective. This weekend, Kennedy will dance the opening solo from
"Meta 4," one of three solos given to the most senior company
members. Other soloists include Lori McWilliams performing the
third movement from "Kinaesonata" and John Pennington performing
"The Achiever" from "Agitime." Because of tributes that will be
delivered Saturday, the solos will only be presented Sunday.
Lewitzky’s most recent piece, "Four Women In Time," inspired by
Judy Chicago’s "The Dinner Party," and a piece titled "Nos
Duraturi," which was commissioned by and choreographed for the
Olympic Arts Festival in 1984, will be performed both nights. Of
the company’s performances in the farewell tour, Eliel says, "We’ve
had good houses and I think we’ve danced well." Lewitzky has been
doing just that for 80 years; her company, for 30 – dancing well.
DANCE: The Lewitzky Dance Company’s Farewell Tour comes to
California State University, Los Angeles May 17-18. The Saturday
performance has sold out, but tickets are free for students on
Sunday. For more information, call (213) 680-3700. The Lewitsky
Dance Company makes its farewell appearance at California State
University, Los Angeles this weekend. Lewitzky Dance Company The
Lewitzky Dance Company, one of the top six U.S. modern dance
companies, will perform May 17-18 at Cal State University, Los
Angeles.