New Dance Alliance Selects Claude ‘CJ’ Johnson ’17 as Artist in Residence
The innovative dancer and accomplished choreographer takes part in the organization’s Black Artists Space-to-Create program.
SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance alum Claude ‘CJ’ Johnson ’17 has worked with renowned companies and choreographers including Merce Cunningham, Trisha Brown Dance Company, Twyla Tharp, and Mark Morris, and was a full-time company dancer with A.I.M., the dance company launched by Kyle Abraham’00. Other residencies include the Baryshnikov Arts Center, The Joyce Theater, and CUNY Dance Initiative.
“As a performer, choreographer, and artist, Johnson expresses the human experience for audiences, recognizing dance as a powerful catalyst for self-expression and social change.
In any artistic space, he endeavors to expand the knowledge and perspective of his community.”
—Broadway World
Through its 2026-27 residency program in Kerhonkson in New York’s Hudson Valley, BASC spotlights important work from Black artists committed to dance and performance in their communities.
Johnson and fellow residents will have unlimited access to a dance studio, accommodations at the Arts-on-Site Residence and Retreat Center, a $2,000 stipend, and a platform to show their work at the annual Performance Mix Festival sponsored by the NDA.