DANCER LEWITZKY DIES

Californian dancer and choreographer BELLA LEWITZKY has died after suffering a stroke. She was 88.

The Los Angeles-born star passed away at a nursing home in southern California on Friday (16JUL04), a few days after her stroke.

Lewitzky launched her career in 1934 when she studied under Los Angeles choreographer LESTER HORTON, and later became a lead dancer in the HORTON DANCE GROUP.

She choreographed dances for Hollywood films TRIPOLI and PREHISTORIC WOMEN in the '50s.

In 1999, she had her right leg amputated because of arterial disease.