“In dance that challenges the mind as well as the heart, Lydia Johnson often isolates and reworks components of classical ballet technique to create a sense of life flowing unhurriedly over mysterious human stories.” —Jennifer Dunning, The New York Times, 2005
Lydia Johnson: Dancing to Golijov
A visit to the studio while the company prepares a new work, this review features a beautiful gallery of photos by Kokyat.
In The Studio With Lydia Johnson
The Oberon's Grove blog highlights a company rehearsal, with lots of great photos!
March City Center Showing Rave Review
“Lydia Johnson became overnight one of my favorite contemporary choreographers...her dancers took the floor and within seconds I knew I had found something I loved.” —Philip Gardner, Oberon's Grove Blog
Performance Videos
Watch excerpts from past performances.
LJD at Peridance
On January 7 and 8, 2012, LJD and each Company on the APAP program will present an 8-minute excerpt from their repertory.
Lydia's new piece will be shown in its entirety on Sunday, February 26 at 2:30 at Peridance, along with another complete work from the LJD Repertory! There will be a suggested donation on February 26th of $10. Information and flyers will be out soon!
Salvatore Capezio Center, 126 E. 13th Street, NYC. For details and tickets...
The Downtown Dance Festival 2011
On Saturday August 13 at 1:00 and Monday August 15 at 12:00 LJD presented excerpts from this year’s Zero Hours, set to piano blues by Pete Johnson and Albert Ammons. The piece featured LJD Company members Jessica Sand, Lisa Iannacito,Laura DiOrio, James Hernandez, Sarah Pon, Blake Hennessy-York, and guest artist Sean Patrick Mahoney, who appeared courtesy of the Paul Taylor Dance Company.
New York Season 2011
Friday June 17 - Sunday June 19
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 is danced by 15 dancers including Guest Artist Sean Mahoney from the Paul Taylor Dance Company. (Click on the image to enlarge.)
There was a free public preview at SOPAC in South Orange, June 10 at 7:30. Excerpts from two works to be performed at the Ailey theater, plus a Q and A with the choreographer and dancers, and an opportunity for audience members to learn a phrase onstage!
LJD at Peridance Capezio Center in January, 2011
Peridance Capezio Center
126 East 13th Street
New York, NY 10003
Each day during the Workshop, material from a different piece of the LJD repertory was presented and explored. Ms. Johnson and Company dancers emphasized individual interpretations of each combination. LJD’s focus in performance is on the ability of each dancer to express the choreography with an individual voice. Rather than working to attain a uniform quality, LJD dancers strive to bring their own personal vision into the phrases. Ms. Johnson choreographs.
Audition
Sunday, January 30 at Peridance 1 – 4 pm
10th Anniversary Season
The Ailey Citigroup Theater, NYC June 24, 25 and 26, 2010
Performances included a world premiere set to Bach's Solo Violin Partitas and Sonatas, 2009's acclaimed Dusk set to Gorecki, a deeply moving double pas-de-deux In Conversation (2005) set to Glass, a post modern look at love and glamor filled with sweeping dancing Dream Sequence (2008) set to songs sung by Dean Martin and, back by popular demand, a revival of the wry 2005 The End of the Movie for three women on benches, set to the songs of Cake.
2009 Summer Season
LJD performed four major works to music by Henryk Gorecki, Phillip Glass and to songs sung by Dean Martin! Read more...
Lydia Johnson Dance at Jacob's Pillow
Lydia Johnson Dance was selected to appear at the historic Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in Lee, Massachusetts on July 25, 2009. Performing as a part of the Inside/Out series at The Pillow, LJD showed both Collecting Rain and Lament on the stunning outdoor stage. The performance was free and was followed by a Q and A period with Lydia and Company!
More on the fascinating history of Jacob's Pillow, where major modern dance creators performed and worked.
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.
