Artist Spotlight: Lydia Johnson Dance
‘Clearing’
Premiered in 2019 at New York City’s Ailey Citigroup Theater
To see full performance click on Vimeo Link: https://vimeo.com/channels/ljd/376851400
Lydia Johnson Dance School's Student Company at the Ailey Studios in New York City
It all started with five young dancers in a single Choreography Workshop and has expanded to 130 students. Lydia Johnson’s passion for encouraging children to create dances led to the founding of Lydia Johnson Dance School in 1998.
Lydia Johnson Dance (LJD) was founded in 1999, as Lydia began to choreograph after several years away from the dance world while her children were very young. She began by rehearsing one day a week while also working and caring for her 3 children. In 2002 and 2004, esteemed dance writer for The New York Times Jennifer Dunning wrote insightful and glowing reviews, which increased Lydia's visibility as a serious choreographer. Members of the SOMA community became involved as founding board members and helped to launch the company through their support and fundraising efforts. Over the years, many SOMA residents have volunteered, hosted fundraisers or served on the LJD Board! Currently, Steven Cramer of Maplewood is the LJD Board President.
Lydia Johnson with dancers in the studio
Photo by Dmitry Beryozkin
Lydia Johnson Dance has been consistently praised for its distinctive choreography, which uses components of ballet woven seamlessly into a contemporary dance vocabulary. Capturing a sense of the depth and spirit of the human struggle, Lydia’s evocative work is noted for an underlying sense of drama, which resonates through the predominantly abstract qualities of her choreography. Music is a powerful component of the Lydia Johnson Dance experience. Her selections often include contemporary masters such as Osvaldo Golijov, Philip Glass, and Henryk Gorecki, as well as classical composers such as Schubert, Bach and Mozart. The music provides not only an emotional resonance, but also comes to Ms. Johnson as a challenge, motivating her to move forward in responding to and solving structural puzzles both within the music and of her own design. The music influences the way her vocabulary and phrases are juxtaposed, combined, repeated, fractured and recombined; It informs the nature of the relationships between the dancers.
“For musicality and fine structuring, few people currently choreographing in the New York scene can compare with Lydia Johnson. There is thought, passion and tenderness in her work, and a depth of musical resonance that is very satisfying to behold.”
LJD dancers Chazz Fenner-McBride and Malik Williams in
'Night and Dreams'
Photo by Dmitry Beryozkin
LJD dancers Malik Williams and Chazz Fenner-McBride in
'Night and Dreams'
Photo by Dmitry Beryozkin
LJD dancers Malik Williams and Chazz Fenner-McBride in 'Night and Dreams'
Photo by Dmitry Beryozkin
’Night and Dreams’ performed in 2019 at New York City’s Ailey Citigroup Theater
To see full performance click on Vimeo LinkL https://vimeo.com/channels/ljd/376854567
“Johnson is a craftsman and a poet; her works, which stress the ensemble and attend closely to the music, have an ebb and flow in addition to a strong emotional current. The basis of her technique is ballet, and her dancers are strong. ”
“What seems to count most for Ms. Johnson is music. The four pieces on the program all showed uncommon skill at matching ballet movement to music, both at the large scale of structure and in small, felicitous details. ”
Lydia Johnson Dance in 'Night and Dreams'
Photo by Dmitry Beryozkin
Lydia Johnson Dance in 'What Counts'
Photo by Dmitry Beryozkin
To see full performance click Vimeo Link: https://vimeo.com/channels/ljd/134546962
LJD Guest Artist Craig Hall with LJD dancer Laura Di Orio
Photo by Dmitry Beryozkin
Lydia Johnson Dancers
Photo by Dmitry Beryozkin
“Johnson is adept at capturing the beauty and pathos in music — her musical choices are well-considered, and it’s clear that she really ‘feels’ the emotion contained in the notes. She translates harmony and texture into a narrative of human intimacy and empathy. Her dancers really look at each other and touch each other sincerely. You get the sense they are helping each other along in the effort of getting through life, with grace and gravity. Humanity is the starting point.”
LJD dancers Jacob Taylor and Katie Lohiya in 'Clearing'
Photo by Dmitry Beryozkin
’Clearing’ premiered in 2019 at New York City’s Ailey Citigroup Theater
To see full performance click on Vimeo Link: https://vimeo.com/channels/ljd/376851400
LJD Guest Artist Craig Hall former soloist and current Ballet Master with New York City Ballet
and LJD dancer Laura Di Orio in 'Night and Dreams'
Photo by Julie Lemberger
’Night and Dreams’ performed in 2019 at New York City’s Ailey Citigroup Theater
To see full performance click on Vimeo Link: https://vimeo.com/channels/ljd/376854567
LJD at an outdoor performance in Maplewood Village for Maplewood Division of Arts & Culture
Photo by Ana De Archuleta, Director, Maplewood Division of Arts & Culture
“During this brutal pandemic, our professional company performed on the street, outdoors in the heart of Maplewood Village in partnership with Maplewood Division of Arts & Culture. It was a very emotional day as the dancers, in masks, danced for the first time since January. The outpouring of enthusiasm, gratitude and joy was so important to us – children danced afterward in the street, practicing the movements of the professional dancers! This kind of moment epitomizes the spirit our two towns. Our professional dance company and our school have both been met with warm support. My 3 children grew up here, and these roots led to my creative work being based in this wonderful community, as well as in New York.”
— Lydia Johnson
Lydia Johnson, Artistic Director of Lydia Johnson Dance Company and School
Lydia Johnson is the Artistic Director of Lydia Johnson Dance Company and School. Originally from Massachusetts, Lydia Johnson began her dance training in Boston, and continued in New York City on scholarship at The Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. She has received a Monticello Foundation Award from The National Association of Regional Ballet, a Harkness Dance Center Space Grant and, in 2014, an Individual Artist Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Lydia’s choreography has been critically acclaimed in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Oberon’s Grove, Dance View Times, Broadway Dance World and others.
Lydia’s work as an acclaimed choreographer, along with her love for the SOMA community where she raised her 3 children, led her to found a not-for-profit school designed to inspire dance students to create their own dances. A Scholarship Program was added which allows all local children to study regardless of financial situations. Last year, LJD gave $25,000 in scholarships. Feeling that commercial dance education does not engage the creative energy of children drawn to dance, Lydia and her teachers have developed a totally unique curriculum that allows young dancers to explore choreography in depth, at the same time that they are advancing technically. The School brings teaching artists from her professional company in NYC, and this link between the School and the Company dancers, who live and work in New York City, is an integral part of the LJD School experience. Lydia’s mission at the School is to create an atmosphere of warmth, non-competitive collaboration, thoughtfulness and creative enthusiasm.
Holly Evans, Managing Director of Lydia Johnson Dance School and Dance Teacher
The LJD School instructors are dancers and teaching artists. They are all caring, love teaching and are tuned in to the many different learning styles of creative kids. The progression of dance technique taught is age-appropriate and always based on correct alignment. The School provides a warm, non-competitive environment for the thoughtful and creative child. The students are encouraged to bring a personal vision to the dances they create, and each child is given the chance to express their ideas.
Holly Evans is the managing director of Lydia Johnson Dance School and teaches special workshops at the LJD School. Holly is currently on the dance faculty at Pace University in New York City, and is pursuing a graduate degree in Arts and Entertainment Management. Holly has enjoyed a multi-faceted career in dance as a performer, choreographer, teacher and administrator. For a decade, Holly danced as a Radio City Rockette and held the position of Assistant Choreographer for the Rockettes. Holly has performed for several regional ballet, modern and musical theater companies, as well as significant award shows and TV appearances. Holly served on the faculty of Wagner College, American Musical and Dramatic Academy NYC, Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts, and the esteemed St. Paul's School in New Hampshire. As an administrator, Holly worked as the Company Manager for RIOULT, a modern dance company in New York City. Holly is passionate about the Scholarship Program that LJD embraces which gives the opportunity for children to dance who would otherwise not be able to attend classes.
Katie Lohiya, Lydia Johnson Faculty
LJD Professional Company Principal Dancer and Rehearsal Director
Assistant Director LJD Camp and Dance Teacher
LJD School Ballet and Contemporary Teacher
Katie Lohiya, faculty of Lydia Johnson Dance School, is originally from Chicago, and has been a member of Lydia Johnson Dance’s professional company for eight years. Katie is now a Principal Dancer and a Rehearsal Director for the company. Katie serves as Assistant Director of the LJD Dance Camp and teaches both Introductory Ballet, as well as Contemporary classes. Teaching is a major passion for Katie. In addition to the LJD School, Katie is on faculty at New York City’s acclaimed The School at Steps on Broadway, as well as The Long Island City School of Ballet and Play Area Association. Katie is a passionate advocate for the creative curriculum she helps to develop at the LJD School and loves to share her knowledge with young dancers and always brings her positive attitude and passion for dancing to the classroom.
Laura Di Orio, Lydia Johnson Faculty
LJD Professional Company Principal Dancer, Manager, and Rehearsal Director
LJD School Ballet Teacher
Laura Di Orio, faculty of Lydia Johnson Dance School, is originally from Pennsylvania, and has been a member of Lydia Johnson Dance's professional company for 12 years. Laura is now a Principal Dancer with the company and also serves as Company Manager and a Rehearsal Director. Laura teaches ballet to all ages, from Introductory Ballet to Ballet III. In addition to the LJD School, Laura has taught at the Alvin Ailey Extension, Peridance Capezio Center, Broadway Dance Center, Studio E and the School of the Staten Island Ballet. Laura loves sharing her knowledge with young dancers, as well as the joy and passion that comes with dancing. Laura is thrilled to be a part of the LJD School, developing creative classes and working with such creative students.
The LJD School offers classes in ballet and contemporary, as well as workshops in Broadway jazz, hip hop, modern, dance history and more. Every class includes a choreography component for children to create their own dances. Choreography is an art and a skill, and the curriculum at LJD was developed by Lydia Johnson, who has years of experience choreographing professionally. The LJD School approach is structured, in-depth, and caters to the interests and needs of the creative young dancers. The LJD School is an alternative to commercial dance education. The season includes a performance of student choreography each spring. A LJD Student Company for older, experienced dancers allows them to focus on choreography and performance in a warm group setting.
Lydia Johnson Dance School students at the barre
Lydia Johnson Dance School students at the barre
Lydia Johnson Dance School students in a creative lift
Although the professional company rehearses in NYC, Lydia’s deep roots in New Jersey and her commitment to bringing creative dance education to Maplewood makes the LJD School’s home at The Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts in Maplewood Village the perfect fit for her not-for-profit school. The LJD School gives $25,000 annually in scholarships so that every child who wants to dance can participate. The School has a Teen Internship Program as well, which mentors teens in teaching and leadership skills.
Each summer, the LJD School offers the unique LJD Dance Camp, with a warm community of dancers of all ages. The professional dancers perform free for the community during this time frame, making summer in Maplewood at The Burgdorff Center a beloved part of LJD’s year.
During the pandemic, the LJD School has been offering outdoor classes and workshops and safe-at-home dance classes via Zoom. With the creative use of Zoom technology, Lydia and the instructors offer an individuated curriculum by using breakout rooms and placing students in groups as needed to work on technical skills or choreography projects. Students can begin to choreograph dances with more sophisticated components, including canons, spatial design, exits and entrances, and counterpoint. Students always have time to connect with one another and share their work, as Lydia and the School team know this is an important part of virtual instruction to find a warm and nurturing connection.
Lydia Johnson Dance School on the patio at The Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts
LJD depends on our Friends to continue to create and present original choreography as well as to offer Scholarships and Teen Internships to young dancers who are experiencing financial hardships.
LJD's most recent Annual Benefit Party was generously hosted by Maplewood's beloved bakery, The Able Baker and proprietors Julie and Thomas Pauly, as well as Scholastic Culinary Services and owners Kate and David Smith-Cooper.
For more info on LJD Board and Generous Supporters:
Lydia Johnson Dance is supported by a generous grant from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation which supplies significant funding for the creative process as well as LJD's educational and scholarship programs.
Lydia Johnson Dance School on the patio at The Burgdorff Center for the Performing Arts
Performances featuring the choreography of Lydia Johnson whose work captures a sense of the depth and spirit of the human struggle. Lydia’s evocative work is noted for an underlying sense of drama, which resonates through the predominantly abstract qualities of her choreography.
‘Night and Dreams’ performed in 2019 at New York City’s Ailey Citigroup Theater with guest artist Craig Hall, former soloist and current Ballet Master with New York City Ballet https://vimeo.com/channels/ljd/376854567
‘Clearing’ premiered in 2019 at New York City’s Ailey Citigroup Theater https://vimeo.com/channels/ljd/376851400
'What Counts' performed in 2015 at New York City’s Ailey Citigroup Theater https://vimeo.com/channels/ljd/134546962
LJD Contact Information and Social Media Sites:
Websites:
www.lydiajohnsondanceschool.com
www.lydiajohnsondance.org
Facebook:
Lydia Johnson Dance School - www.facebook.com/LydiaJohnsonDanceSchool
Lydia Johnson Dance Company - www.facebook.com/Lydia-Johnson-Dance-26113423525
Instagram:
Lydia Johnson Dance School: @lydiajohnsondanceschool
Lydia Johnson Dance Company: @lydiajohnsondance
Email: lydia@lydiajohnsondance.org