Bello the clown is back in town. With his signature foot-high hair and wacky antics, Bello will delight, entertain, and amaze both young and old audiences with zany tricks and gravity-defying stunts at the New Victory Theater (April 4-20)—just in time for spring break fun. Between clowning around, Bello stopped to chat with us at NYF.
Bello, what is your real (long!) name?
Dimitrious Alexandro Claudio Amadeus Bello Nock. My mom is Italian, she kinda got carried away.
Were you voted “class clown” in school?
When I was in third grade, my teacher pulled me aside and told me that I needed to stop clowning around so much, because there were things I needed to learn for my future. I told her not to worry, because I was going to be a famous clown and I was practicing for my future. We were both right! I’m still not good at math and spelling, but TIME Magazine did call me “America’s best clown”.
How did you become a clown, how did you get into “clowning”?
I’m a seventh generation performer, so I always knew I was going to perform. My family did daring thrill acts and I was the youngest of four talented boys, so it was tough to stand out. Comedy was my thing…it made me different. So, I combined my two best talents, comedy and daredevilry, to create a whole new genre…the comic daredevil.
Your death-defying stunts include a 40-foot sway pole above the audience, a mini-bicycle tight-rope, and even dangling upside-down from a helicopter. You like to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Have you always been so fearless?
Yes! I was flying on stage with Peter Pan when I was six and walking the high wire at nine…so I guess I have always been a daredevil.
For a slideshow of Bello’s past NYC adventures, click here!
