Conversations @ Gantt: Virginia Johnson, Dance Theater of Harlem Artistic Director

As a prelude to weekend performances or as a postscript to Friday night’s opener, join former ballerina and now Dance Theatre of Harlem Artistic Director Virginia Johnson to learn more about the history of this world-renowned ballet company. From its founding in the basement of a church in Harlem to its unparalleled global acclaim, Dance Theater of Harlem continues to shatter barriers for future generations of aspiring performers.

About Virginia Johnson

Virginia Johnson began studying ballet in Washington, DC when she was just three years old. During her first year at New York University, she became interested in a ballet school in Harlem being run by the former New York City Ballet dancer Arthur Mitchell. She became a charter member — first serving as a lecture-demonstrator to raise funds for the school’s fledgling company — and later, as a 19-year-old dancer for the company. In 1974, Johnson danced her first solo role for the Dance Theatre of Harlem and became its star ballerina, garnering international acclaim and dancing with the company for twenty eight years. She rejoined the company as Artistic Director in 2010.