PNBSchool

Hello Level VI families,

We are so thrilled to announce that the incredible Christina Johnson will be guest teaching with PNB School later this month! As a part of her visit she will be teaching a combined class for all of Level VI, both FRC and PC, on Monday February the 23rd from 6:00-8:00pm at the Phelps Center in Seattle. This 2 hour masterclass will replace regularly scheduled classes at both locations. Students will remain on flat for the class.

Christina is a world-class dancer and educator, we are so lucky to have her joining us. We are also excited for this opportunity to unite the Level VI classes from each location and provide them space and time to connect!

As with normal classes, please let us know if your student cannot attend and we will excuse them from class.

Check out Christina’s impressive biography below!

Christina Johnson trained at Boston School of Ballet, School of American Ballet and Dance Theatre of Harlem. She began her professional career at age seventeen with Boston Ballet, before joining Dance Theatre of Harlem, where she became a principal dancer within four years. In her 13-year tenure with DTH, she worked with legends Frederic Franklin, Ulysses Dove, Jerome Robbins, Glen Tetley and Suzanne Farrell to name a few. She danced leading roles in much of the company’s repertoire including Giselle, Serenade, Concerto Barocco, Firebird and Fancy Free. She was a member of the Swiss companies, Le Ballet du Grand Theatre de Geneve and Ballett Basel, where her repertoire expanded to include works by William Forsythe, Jiri Kylian, Ohad Naharin, Twyla Tharp and Jean-Christophe Maillot among others. Christina is an original member of Complexions Contemporary Ballet and has been a featured guest artist with various companies worldwide, including the Royal Ballet of London where she and her dance partner, Ronald Perry, were the first African-American couple in its history to perform with the company.

After her performance career Christina held the position of Rehearsal Director for Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Washington Ballet, Armitage Gone! Dance, Trey McIntyre Project and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. She was on faculty at Marin Ballet in San Rafael, CA, and was Adjunct Faculty at Dominican University in the LINES/Dominican BFA in Dance Program. She is sought after as a teacher and coach and works with dance schools, universities and professional dance companies across the country. She is also a master teacher and judge for dance competitions, such as Universal Ballet Competition, American Dance Competition/International Ballet Competition and Revel Dance Convention. She is featured in the recently released book by Misty Copeland, Black Ballerina and also in Dance Theatre of Harlem: A History, A Movement, A Celebration.

Christina holds a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from Hollins University in collaboration with the American Dance Festival, The Forsythe Company and Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts in Germany.

photo courtesy of Christina Johnson