Today we’d like to introduce you to Bella Bernath.
Bella, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in a suburb of Chicago and started dancing at the age of four. I trained classically in all styles of dance and started teaching at the age of 14. Growing up, I was definitely a perfectionist and it was evident in the way I balanced schoolwork, dance, and teaching. I was an extremely motivated and goal-oriented kid as well and pushed myself to constantly grow and achieve more and more with every aspect of my life. I ultimately decided to graduate high school early to use the extra time to focus on my professional career. I started dancing in local Chicago gigs, back-up danced in many shows for a Hip-Hop cover band, modeled, taught classes and choreographed for companies/dance teams after graduating all to build my resume and save money to fund my move to LA. The following year I assisted for the dance convention, West Coast Dance Explosion, for their 2016/2017 season. I networked with many people throughout the year and when it was time for me to move to LA, I immediately signed with Bloc Talent Agency.
I quickly found my way into the dance community booking multiple jobs in the first few months and by 2018, I was cast in a Las Vegas show called “A Mob Story” with choreographers Brian Friedman, Willdabeast & Janelle, Tracy Phillips, and Shannon Mather. Brian Friedman specifically was someone I had always wanted to work for growing up, so booking that job was a huge achievement for me. I was contracted with the show all year and moved back to LA in 2019 to continue my professional career.
I started working with Richy Jackson on a couple of Loren Gray music videos as well as booking other gigs with many other working choreographers. By springtime of 2019, I was direct booked for the 11:11 World Tour with Maluma. I have been working with the artist for a year now traveling all over the US, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, South America and we also performed at a festival in Africa! It has been a dream to work on a world tour so early on in my career. Dancing and spreading light and love around the world is extremely rewarding and I’m so beyond grateful to experience so many different cultures while doing what I love.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Coming to LA, I felt like I had to really learn the ropes and earn my spot in the industry. I felt very prepared and knew that I had strong support in LA, but being in a community full of seasoned professionals I knew I had to “pay my dues” in a sense. When I first moved, I accepted everything that came my way to gain experience and while it was beneficial because it kept me busy, I also was put in some difficult situations as a result- like contract breaches, late payments and unreliable production teams to name a few…
Luckily I was never extremely drained mentally, physically or financially, but it did teach me to be more cautious of which jobs I take. I have learned so much from every job opportunity and I wouldn’t change any of it even if I could. I’m a firm believer in the saying “everything happens for a reason,” and I think there’s a valuable lesson in every experience, good or bad.
Also, one of my recent biggest struggles, one I’m sure many can relate to, has been the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. I was scheduled to be on tour with the Maluma crew all year but it was all put to a hold. We were in the middle of an eight weeks tour in Europe when the international travel ban was about to be put in place. We all made it home safely but it certainly was a close call.
We’d love to hear more about your work. What do you specialize in, what you are known for, etc. What sets you apart from others? What else should we know?
I’ve created a brand for myself as a dancer, and any choreographer that I have worked with would agree that I am extremely adaptable, detail-oriented, self-motivated, and versatile. I like to spread positive and cheerful energy in every workspace. Maintaining professionalism is extremely important to me, but I also think that my goofy and multifaceted personality brings a level of enjoyment and ease to the room. These qualities along with my go-getter mentality set me apart from others. While it’s important to remain humble, in order to be successful you need to be able to vocalize and be confident in your strengths. I try to pass down these values while teaching younger students because they are vital to being successful as a dancer and even more so as a person.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I would consider myself to be a pretty lucky person based on the fact that I was born into a middle-class white family. Yes, my father is an immigrant, but I was given nearly every opportunity growing up. However, I believe hard work outweighs luck when it comes to longevity in LA. For example, I was extremely lucky to have been direct booked for the Maluma 11:11 world tour, but it took a lot of consistent effort to build up a strong relationship with my agency for them to trust me and my work. Overall in life, I’m pretty superstitious and believe that what you give is what you get.
Contact Info:
- Email: bmbernath@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellabhungary/?hl=en
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
