Virginia Johnson
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| Virginia Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 25, 1950 |
| 🏳️ Nationality | African-American |
| 💼 Occupation | Dancer |
| 🏢 Organization | Dance Theatre of Harlem, Pointe Magazine |
| 🏅 Awards | Young Achiever Award, Outstanding Young Woman of America and the Dance Magazine Award, Pen and Brush Achievement Award, 2008–2009 Pola Nirenska Lifetime Achievement Award, 2009 Martha Hill Fund Mid-Career Award |
Virginia Johnson is a former prima ballerina, best known for her role as a principal dancer in the first Black classical ballet company, Dance Theatre of Harlem. She currently serves as the Artistic Director of the ballet company.
Early life and Education
Virginia Johnson was born on January 25, 1950, in Washington, D.C. She began her dance training at the age of three years old by studying ballet at the Washington School of Ballet. She attended this institution through her high school years in the ballet school's academic division and graduated at the top of her class. [1] Although African American ballerinas were scarce at this time, Virginia chose to attend New York University's School of the Arts, where she was granted a scholarship to study dance. Virginia was primarily focused on studying ballet and deemed NYU's program to be more focused on modern dance, prompting her to leave the university after her first year. In 1969, she continued her training at a ballet school in Harlem, New York, that was being run out of a church basement by the former New York City Ballet dancer, Arthur Mitchell.[1] This ballet school, in its humble beginnings, was soon to be the esteemed Dance Theatre of Harlem. While still performing, her interest in journalism led her to Fordham University, where she pursued a degree in Communications.
Career and Impact
Awards and Honors[2]
- Young Achiever Award from the National Council of Women
- Outstanding Young Woman of America and the Dance Magazine Award
- Pen and Brush Achievement Award
- 2008–2009 Pola Nirenska Lifetime Achievement Award from the Washington Performing Arts Society
- 2009 Martha Hill Fund Mid-Career Award
References
External links
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