Clea Bella (doll)
Encyclopedia
Clea Bella is a 39 cm (15.5 in) fashion doll
similar to Gene Marshall, Madame Alexander
's Alex, and Tonner
's Tyler Wentworth
fashion dolls.
" foot doll with straight, non-bending arms and legs. The doll featured theatrical style make-up, a blue and green dance costume with bird feathers, a matching headdress fashioned after the peacock's crest, white tights and pink en pointe ballet shoes. This was the original en pointe 41 cm (16 in) dancer doll.
Clea Bella is the name of the main character doll, and is a shortening of her full name, Cleopatra Bellisimo. The doll's character is dubbed a "triple threat", as she can dance, sing and act equally well. The main drive of the Bella! Productions Doll Company is the story line behind each character, outfit and dressed doll. Each Bella! Productions product comes with a story card about that item, which allows collectors to fully immerse themselves in this world, if they choose.
Additionally, there are two body constructions:
The original style with non-bending straight legs and arms. They come in both the "fashion foot" and en pointe ballet foot styles. The doll bodies were made of plastic and their head molded of softer vinyl with rooted hair. Their legs were strung together with a rubber band joint in the hips, allowing for a large range of movement in the legs. These older dolls were produced from 2001 through 2004, and are still carried in many online stores.
In 2005, the company introduced their second body construction type, which was the first wave of articulated dolls, and featured bending knees that swivel, an improved rotational hip, and swivel waists which tilt slightly in all directions, offering a dropped-shoulder pose, as well as a more arched back for an arabesque
pose for their ballet dancers.
The doll creators decided to change the construction material with these new articulated dolls and turned to rotomolding for the manufacture of their dolls in the softer vinyl material, allowing their dolls to be seamless.
At this time, they also introduced a new character, Clea Bella's best friend, DeeDee Hunt, a Native American doll of Haida Gwaii original. Clea and DeeDee share the same body type. The DeeDee character is not currently offered on an en pointe body.
Later in 2009, Bella! Productions plans to unveil two more characters: James Windslow, Clea Bella's love interest and archeologist, and his mother, Lady Windslow, a patronress of Clea Bella.
Fashion doll
Fashion dolls are dolls primarily designed to be dressed to reflect fashion trends. They are manufactured both as toys for children to play with and as collectibles for adult collectors. The dolls are usually modeled after teen girls or adult women, though child, male, and even some non-human...
similar to Gene Marshall, Madame Alexander
Madame Alexander
Madame Alexander is a brand of American collectible dolls introduced in 1923.Madame Alexander is also the business name of Beatrice Alexander, who was born Bertha Alexander, later changed her name to Beatrice, married Philip Behrman and then started her doll business...
's Alex, and Tonner
Tonner Doll Company, Inc.
Tonner Doll Company, Inc. is a collectible doll design and distribution company located in Hurley, New York. Founded by Robert Tonner in 1991, Tonner Doll designs and markets original doll lines as well as a number of licensed dolls for movies such as Harry Potter, Spider-Man 3, and Twilight...
's Tyler Wentworth
Tyler Wentworth
Tyler Wentworth is a 16" fashion doll created by Robert Tonner produced by the Tonner Doll Company, Inc. for adult collectors. Tyler Wentworth dolls are constructed of vinyl and hard plastic and have rooted hair or wigs...
fashion dolls.
Background
Clea Bella is a theatre-based doll, created in 2001 by Christina "Bogie" Bougas, of the Bella! Productions Doll Company. Christina's love of theatre and dance inspired her to create a doll reflecting the grace, beauty and dignity of performing arts. The very first Clea Bella doll she sculpted was called "Peacock Paradise" and was an "en pointeEn pointe
En pointe means "on the tip" and is a part of classical ballet technique, usually practised using specially reinforced shoes called pointe shoes or toe shoes. The technique developed from the desire for dancers to appear weightless and sylph-like and has evolved to enable dancers to dance on the...
" foot doll with straight, non-bending arms and legs. The doll featured theatrical style make-up, a blue and green dance costume with bird feathers, a matching headdress fashioned after the peacock's crest, white tights and pink en pointe ballet shoes. This was the original en pointe 41 cm (16 in) dancer doll.
Clea Bella is the name of the main character doll, and is a shortening of her full name, Cleopatra Bellisimo. The doll's character is dubbed a "triple threat", as she can dance, sing and act equally well. The main drive of the Bella! Productions Doll Company is the story line behind each character, outfit and dressed doll. Each Bella! Productions product comes with a story card about that item, which allows collectors to fully immerse themselves in this world, if they choose.
Body Styles
The current style of articulated dolls features multiple points of articulation at the shoulders, waist, hips and knees. The dolls currently come in two body types: a "fashion foot" doll with arched feet for wearing high heeled shoes, and an en pointe style foot for wearing en pointe ballet shoes.Additionally, there are two body constructions:
The original style with non-bending straight legs and arms. They come in both the "fashion foot" and en pointe ballet foot styles. The doll bodies were made of plastic and their head molded of softer vinyl with rooted hair. Their legs were strung together with a rubber band joint in the hips, allowing for a large range of movement in the legs. These older dolls were produced from 2001 through 2004, and are still carried in many online stores.
In 2005, the company introduced their second body construction type, which was the first wave of articulated dolls, and featured bending knees that swivel, an improved rotational hip, and swivel waists which tilt slightly in all directions, offering a dropped-shoulder pose, as well as a more arched back for an arabesque
Arabesque
The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements...
pose for their ballet dancers.
The doll creators decided to change the construction material with these new articulated dolls and turned to rotomolding for the manufacture of their dolls in the softer vinyl material, allowing their dolls to be seamless.
At this time, they also introduced a new character, Clea Bella's best friend, DeeDee Hunt, a Native American doll of Haida Gwaii original. Clea and DeeDee share the same body type. The DeeDee character is not currently offered on an en pointe body.
Current Status and Future Dolls
In April 2007, Bella! Productions will debut their fully articulated doll body, featuring bending elbows and wrists. These dolls will have the same articulated lower-body type bodies introduced in 2005, and will be fully strung with elastic. This is the first vinyl doll to be strung instead of hard jointed.Later in 2009, Bella! Productions plans to unveil two more characters: James Windslow, Clea Bella's love interest and archeologist, and his mother, Lady Windslow, a patronress of Clea Bella.