Josie Johnson, Co-Artistic Director
Josie and her husband Ken are also the Directors of Johansen
School of Ballet, Etc. She trained at Orange County Ballet
Theatre, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and The Hartt School
at the University of Hartford, where she received a B.F.A. in
Dance Pedagogy. Josie danced professionally with Dance
Connecticut/Hartford Ballet, Connecticut Opera, Roxey Ballet,
and ARC Dance Productions. Guest credits include Eliot Feld's
Mr. XYZ with Mikhail Baryshnikov and Kirk Peterson’s The
Nutcracker with the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company.
Josie has taught and choreographed extensively throughout New
Jersey and Connecticut, and locally at Washington Contemporary
Ballet, Evergreen City Ballet, and ARC Dance Productions. Josie
has also taught at Saint Martin's University.
Ken Johnson, Co-Artistic Director
Ken and his wife Josie are also the Directors of Johansen School
of Ballet, Etc. He trained at Johansen School of Ballet,
Evergreen City Ballet, and the School of Hartford Ballet. He
attended summer programs at American Ballet Theatre, Houston
Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet on
scholarship. Ken danced professionally with Hartford Ballet,
Dance Connecticut, and Connecticut Opera, as well as at the
prestigious Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Following his
retirement from performing, Ken received a bachelor's from The
Hartt School at the University of Hartford. In addition to
teaching dance, Ken has worked at American Repertory Ballet,
American Ballet Theatre, Dance Connecticut, ACT Theatre, and
Tacoma Art Museum.
