Dance Theatre of Harlem Comes To Detroit’s Opera House
Artistic Director for Harlem Dance Troupe, Virginia Johnson, discusses ballet & the core beliefs of the diverse troupe
Virginia Johnson was a principal ballerina with Dance Theatre of Harlem for nearly 30 years until she took over as Artistic Director in 2009. The diverse troupe of dancers comes to Detroit’s Opera House this weekend for three performances. Ms. Johnson joins Stephen Henderson on Detroit Today, to talk about ballet and the guiding principles of the Dance Theatre of Harlem.
Performance: Dance Theatre of Harlem helps break down the barriers of dance for students by taking them through the steps of a performance. “We do a performance for young people and we take them inside the process of what it is to be a dancer,” explained Johnson.
Misty Copeland: Johnson is a fan of Misty Copeland, the first African American principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre. “Misty is an exquisite ballerina and she’s captured the imagination of so many people who thought this art was exclusive,” says Johnson.
To hear more of their conversation, click the link above.
