Virginia Johnson (dancer)

Johnson was born and raised in Washington, D.C.[1] She began training in classical ballet at the age of three under Therrell Smith, a friend of her mother's who had trained under Mathilde Kschessinska. When she was thirteen years old she was accepted as a scholarship student at The Washington School of Ballet, where she trained under Mary Day and was the only African-American student. She graduated from the school in 1968.[2]

Johnson moved to New York City and enrolled as a dance major at New York University. While a student there, she took a class with Arthur Mitchell and was invited to help start a ballet company with him. She became a founding member of Dance Theatre of Harlem in 1969 and was promoted to the rank of principal dancer.[1][3][4] She danced lead roles in Agon, A Streetcar Named Desire, Creole Giselle, Concerto Barocco, Allegro Brillante, Fall River Legend, Swan Lake, Les Biches, and Glen Tetley's Voluntaries.[1][2][5]

After a twenty-eight year career with the company, Johnson stepped down and enrolled as a communications student at Fordham University. She was later hired as the inaugural editor-in-chief of Pointe Magazine and served in that capacity from 2000 until 2009. Johnson then rejoined the Dance Theatre of Harlem as its artistic director.[2][1] Johnson retired in 2023.[6][7]