ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

 

Dr. Barbara Johnson grew up in Atlanta, GA and started dance at the age of 4. Tap and jazz quickly fell away as her love for ballet grew. She was accepted into the Atlanta Ballet pre-professional program at 13 and spent her summers enhancing her skills at North Carolina School of the Arts. She studied with the Atlanta Ballet under the direction of Robert Barnett who was a principal dancer with the NYC Ballet. Barnett was trained by George Balanchine, the renowned choreographer, and passed his knowledge to Johnson. 

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Due to an injury, Johnson left her career in ballet and pursued medicine and worked as a general surgeon for 15 years. After moving to Galax, Johnson found she wanted to share her ballet experience with boys and girls in the area.  She founded The Conservatory of Dance & Theatre in 2004.  She uses her medical expertise to ensure safe technique and is privy to the latest research in dance medicine.

 

Dancing professionally as a soloist with the Macon Ballet and as a member of the Corps de Ballet with the Atlanta Ballet, Johnson has danced in most all of the famous ballets and she brings this wealth of experience to the Conservatory.  Students do not perform in recitals but in professionally choreographed and staged ballets.

 

The Conservatory has staged The Faerie Glen (2005), Sleeping Beauty (2006), Coppélia (2007), CATS with the Galax Theatre Guild (2008), Pirates of Tortuga (2009), Midsummer Night's Dream and Carmina Burana (2010), Circle of Life (2011), Beauty and the Beast (2012), Alice in Wonderland (2013), and The Nutcracker (2005-2013)

 

 

 

DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN'S PROGRAM

 

Miss Sarah Hall, originally from Richmond, VA, trained under Patricia Dodd of the Chesterfield School of Ballet from the age of 4. She also received training from many Richmond Ballet Company members, including Pedro Slazey, Brandon Becker and Heidi Pankoff. Her ballet training was from the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus. She passed the Pre-professional/Advanced level exam given by RAD with Merit.

 

After High School, Sarah attended Sweet Briar College where she continued her dance studies in modern and Jazz. She graduated with majors in French and Economics and teaches French at Galax High School. Sarah still loves to perform and dances in the Conservatory's productions with the Galax Youth Ballet.

 

"Ballet is the form of dance I most love. I am so excited to be working with young dancers in a field that I am especially passionate about."

 

Sarah teaches the Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet and Ballet I classes.