“Lydia Johnson is a true original whose choreography repays close attention. The new and recent dances she presented were fascinating in the way they isolated and reworked components of classical ballet … Fleeting duets and solo passages are embedded in the flow and the shifts from unison to individual choreography add to the texture. There is no discernible narrative, but you sense the unfolding of some fundamental human story.” —Jennifer Dunning, The New York Times
LJD New York Season 2012
June 23 and 24, 2012
LJD performs four works, including two premieres, at The Peridance Theater in New York! Music by: Philip Glass, J.S. Bach, Osvaldo Golijov. Guest Artists include dancers from the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company and others formerly with New York City Ballet.
On-line at Smartix.com or call 212 868-4444.
Order your tickets today!
Free Performance at SOPAC
Friday, June 8 at 7:30
Three repertory pieces with previews of two new works, followed by a Q and A with Artistic Director Lydia Johnson and company dancers! Tickets available only at the door — Free but donations to the Company are appreciated and accepted!
Join us for the After Party! Details here...
New Jersey's Top Dance Program
The Lydia Johnson Dance School is honored to have been selected as the best dance program and one of only four arts programs praised in the October issue of the Millburn/Short Hills Magazine.
Performance Videos
Watch “Dusk (2009)”, “Untitled, 2010”, and two excerpts from a Spring, 2008 performance.
Watch "Summer House", From the 2011 New York Premiere.
School & Company Photos
Support Lydia Johnson Dance
Contribute to the Dodge Matching Grant Fund!
News About Classes and Performances
Special Four-Week Workshop
Ballet, Contemporary and Jazz in ONE class!
Mondays: May 14, 21 and June 4 and 11. Learn more...
Register for the 2012 Summer Dance Camp
July 9 — 27, 2012. Learn more here, register on-line or by check.
LJD Free Performance at SOPAC
Friday Evening June 8 at 7:30
Three pieces from the LJD Repertory including previews of two new works. The performance will be followed by a Q and A with LJD Artistic Director Lydia Johnson and Company dancers! Tickets available only at the door — Free but donations to the Company are appreciated and accepted!
Join us for the After Party! Details here...
Rave Reviews for LJD
Philip Gardner on the new Golijiv work and on "Falling Out" at Peridance, February 26, 2012.
Mary Cargill's review from danceviewtimes.
“We saw an early rehearsal of this piece in October where - though still early in the developmental process - it already seemed destined to hit my list of top ten dance works of the 21st century.” Philip Gardner on a new work to music of Osvaldo Golijov, with a lovely photo gallery.
“Lydia's work is demanding both physically and emotionally, and it must be as rewarding to dance as it is to watch.” Philip Gardner on the LJD 2011 New York Season.
“:Simple, tasteful, unhurried—these are the adjectives that best characterize Johnson’s chamber ballets.” The New Yorker, January 2011
“A creator of modest, handsome, ballet-based dances, Johnson offers a slow-build première set to music by Henryk Górecki...” Read more from The New Yorker.
Read Philip Gardener’s articles on LJD and The Creative Process at Oberon’s Grove. Creative Process I, Creative Process II and Creative Process III. There are many great studio photos by Kokyat here!
Recent Events
New York Season 2011
Friday June 17 - Sunday June 19, 2011 at the Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater, 405 W. 55th Street, New York, NY. Four works including two premiers! Music by Henryk Gorecki, Philip Glass, J.S. Bach and jazz piano pieces played by Albert Ammons. The 2011 season was danced by 15 dancers including Guest Artist Sean Mahoney from the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Read Philip Gardner's review!
Free Public Performance At SOPAC
June 10, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.
LJD showed excerpts from two works from the New York season. The evening included a Q and A with the choreographer and dancers, and an opportunity for audience members to learn a phrase on stage! Read more...
Dance Repertory Workshop
At Peridance Capezio Center
June 27 – July 1, 2011, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Each day during this week-long Repertory Workshop, material from a different piece of the LJD repertory was presented and explored. Ms. Johnson’s vocabulary is ballet-based with modern, gestural and drop-and-release components.
Ms. Johnson and Company dancers emphasize individual interpretations of each combination and phrase with special focus on linking the movement to the music. LJD’s focus in performance is on the ability of each dancer to express the choreography with an individual, musically intelligent voice. Read more...
Still photographs throughout the site by Julie Lemberger (© Julie Lemberger, 2004–2009) and Kokyat (© Kokyat, 2009), as noted.
All photos on this page by Julie Lemberger, except montage one, far right, by Kokyat.
Dancers pictured throughout our site are: Jessica Sand, Kerry Shea, Laura DiOrio, Lisa Iannacito, Eric Vlach, Jeremy Smith, Robert Robinson, R Colby Damon, Tammi Shamblin, John- Mark Owen, Marcos Vedoveto, Jesse Marks, Emma Stein, Tucker Ty Davis, Jennifer Lott, Jennifer Kelbe.
Updated site design and maintenance by Tom McGee; Design for publicity and web by Deanne Landress.
