Dance Artist and educator Dr. Julie B. Johnson uses dance to facilitate opportunities for spontaneous connection

In 2021, “City Lights” began our “Speaking of Art” series to highlight Atlanta’s many diverse visual artists. We have since expanded our series to include “Speaking of Music” and “Speaking of Comedy,” and recently, we added “Speaking of Dance” to our collection. Atlanta’s dance scene is vibrant and eclectic, and we are honored to highlight some of the many local dancers that move us with their movements.

In this edition of Speaking of Dance, we feature Dr. Julie B. Johnson, a dance artist and educator on faculty at Spelman College, where she serves as the Chair of the Department of Dance Performance and Choreography. Julie’s love for dance started in childhood when she’d twirl, kick, roll, and hop when describing her day. That love of dance led her to study dance in neighborhood studios all the way to earning a Ph.D. in dance studies. Her work focuses on participatory dance and embodied memory mapping, exploring personal and cultural memories stored in our bodies. You can connect to Dr. Julie B. Johnson on Instagram @julie.b.johnson and her work with Idle Crimes and Heavy Work here.