Pioneering Black Dancer Found Homeless On New York Streets

This is the second in a series of case studies examining the root causes of homelessness by investigating the circumstances and history of specific individuals in hope of bringing some level of understanding and recognition of anyone’s potential vulnerability.

Arthur Bell

In March of 1998 a homeless 71-year-old African-American man was discovered in the streets of Brooklyn, New York. Disorientated, his feet frozen and barely able to stand, he was taken by paramedics to Kings County Hospital Center where he was diagnosed as suffering from dementia.

Fifty years previous and life had been very different for Arthur Bell. In the early 1940’s, Bell had been attending dance classes at the top black dance school, run by Katherine Dunham. In 1945, he performed the role of ‘The Boy Possessed’ in Carib Song, a Broadway show with a black cast, choreographed by Dunham.

His big break came when he was chosen by British choreographer, Frederick Ashton, to appear as a guest soloist in Illuminations, a production for the world-renowned New York City Ballet. Subsequently, Bell traveled to Paris where he performed with the Ballets de la Tour Eiffel and studied with foremost Russian ballerina, Preobrajenskaya. While there, he appeared at the Palais Garnier, alongside top French dancer, Pierre Lacotte, in Night Is A Witch.

According to Dawn Lille Horwitz, who teaches dance history at the Julliard School, Arthur Bell was the first black dancer to perform with the New York City Ballet. He recalled rehearsing with none other than Margot Fonteyn. He claimed, though it is difficult to substantiate, that while in Paris he stayed at a boarding house and became friends with American author, James Baldwin.

All in all, a promising career and a comfortable lifestyle. Arthur Bell never had any issues such as alcoholism, drug addiction or gambling problems. So where did it all go wrong and what were the causes of such a dramatic reversal of fortune?

Some indications can be found in Arthur’s early life. Arthur was the eldest of nine children, son of a Pentecostal minister, described by his brother Dale in an interview for the Associated Press as, “extra-fundamentalist”. His parents believed, that if not done for God, dancing was sinful. Dale recalls, “There was no worldly music at home, not even the blues - only spirituals. And we couldn’t dance.” Dancing though, was Arthur’s passion and it was for this reason that he fled his Florida home in the early 1940’s and made his way to New York. He returned to Florida just once, in 1956, to visit his ailing father who passed away not much later. Only Arthur’s aunt, Essie, had been supportive of his choices and when she too passed away in 1974, all contact with his family had been severed. The support group which most people are able to turn to in times of need was gone, the safety-net effectively removed.

Arthur (rear, right)

It is believed that Arthur retired from dancing due to age but it should also be noted that opportunities for black performers at this time were limited. Madelaine Nichols, curator of the dance collection at the New York Library for the Performing Arts, states “[in the 40's and 50's]….there was no place for African-Americans in classical ballet.” Arthur flirted with acting, making a brief appearance in an Italian film, Anna but this is his only known role. Although it never dampened his efforts, Arthur was frequently faced with prejudice in his search for work in the Arts. In his own words, ”It wasn’t very much fun going to auditions and having them say to you, ‘We’re not using coloreds in this show.’ ”

Arthur’s own memory of the thirty years or so, post-Paris, is extremely vague, perhaps because of the onset of dementia but public records show that even once his career as a performer stalled, he by no means gave up on life. He was a food service worker at Creedmoor Psychiatric Institute in Queens from 1967 to 1972; an office assistant with the City Department of Transportation from 1973 to 1980; and a typist, clerk and receptionist with the City Human Resources Administration from 1982
until 1992.

A close friend, Marolyn Thomas, recalled that from 1973 until he disappeared without a trace in 1994, Arthur spent holidays with her and her son at their apartment and would sleep on the couch for months at a time. Money was always an issue for him and she would send Arthur home with leftovers when he came over at weekends.

Arthur had returned to Manhattan and despite his work in public offices, he never qualified for civil service and he retired without a pension. Between 1994 and his discovery on the streets of Brooklyn in 1998, it is known that Arthur spent some time living in boarding houses and his last known address was at the Bellvue Men’s Shelter for the homeless. Staff at the shelter stated that while he was there he had been receiving around $400 a month in social security. It is believed that he had spent several winter months on the streets, at 71 years old, prior to being admitted to hospital.

As is the case with a large proportion of homeless people there was more than one factor that resulted in Arthur’s homelessness. The prejudice he encountered put limitations on his chosen career. Loopholes in the system meant that he retired without a pension, forcing him into poverty. Failing mental health exacerbated his circumstances further still and the broken ties with his family meant that he no longer had a safety-net and support group to care for him when he needed it. None of these circumstances are extraordinary, if this can happen to someone like Arthur Bell, it can happen to anyone.

As a footnote, a little serendipity was to intervene in Arthur’s life. Upon arrival at Kings County Hospital he was allocated a social worker, Maria Mackin. Ms. Mackin had been a ballet photographer and she recognized some validity to Arthur’s stories which others had been quick to dismiss as delusional ramblings associated with senility. Having used her contacts to verify his recollections and establish his historical value, she contacted the press and consequently Arthur was reunited with his surviving siblings after more than four decades apart. Arthur and his interests were well cared for until his death in 2004.

Primary sources, New York Times, Seattle Times, LA Times, CNN. Additional material from an Associated Press interview with Dale Bell, published at Homeless Peoples Network. Images in this article may be subject to copyright and are reproduced here under the terms of Fair Usage, source CNN.