Isle ballet dancer Bell invited to join noted Russian academy

MAIRI BELL, 18, a former Hawaii State Ballet dancer, has been invited to join the legendary Vaganova Ballet Academy, home of the Kirov Ballet, in St. Petersburg, Russia. This is no small honor, as the academy has produced such stars as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Rudolph Nureyev, Natalia Makarova, Vaslav Nijinsky and Anna Pavlova. Mairi received the invitation from Vaganova Academy director Altynai Asylmuratova after dancing in Oslo, Norway, for five months. She was trained by John Landovsky and Gina Surles at Hawaii State Ballet, where she started dancing at age 4. Mairi is the daughter of Larry and Hatsue Bell and attended La Pietra school ...

GEORGE SEGAL was in Safeway's deli at Hawaii Kai Wednesday trying to put a po' boy sandwich together. Segal's wife, Sonia, and Don Stroud were with him. Segal and Stroud, the former Waikiki beachboy who became an actor, are appearing in Joe Moore's "Prophecy & Honor," which opens a four-day run at Hawaii Theatre Thursday. The play is about the court-martial of Billy Mitchell. Richard Dreyfuss is in the cast. Moore portrays Mitchell. Frank DeLima and Terence Knapp are among others in the cast. Glenn Cannon directs. That's quite a bit of firepower for a local production. Joe can be proud about putting this strong team together ... Stroud is working on "Nighttime with Andy Bumatai" as associate producer on K5 weeknights at 9:35 ...

LEE DONOHUE AND TEAM PREPARE FOR KICK START

FORMER POLICE CHIEF Lee Donohue gathered his forces sometime ago and they are well into preparation for the Sunday Sept. 2 Kick Start, a benefit that helps at-risk youngsters. The party will be held at the Bayer Estate in Aina Haina from 4 to 8 p.m. Alan Wong's, Roy's and other restaurants and businesses will provide food and drink. There also will be a silent auction. Singer Kristian Lei and the group H-4 will entertain. Tickets are $150. Call Leanne Williams, Donohue's daughter, at 286-8831 or check out www.kickstarthawaii.org for more info or tickets to this worthy event ... Former Hawaii resident Carla Beachcomber and hubby Jess Lutz are back in town, ensconced as usual in Colony Surf. They will be in town through September ...

Ben Wood, who sold the Star-Bulletin in the streets of downtown Honolulu during World War II, writes of people, places and things in our Hawaii. E-mail him at bwood@starbulletin.com