Brown Ballerinas With Virginia Johnson | Black America

In 2004, the famed Dance Theatre of Harlem was forced to disband after garnering significant financial debt. Today the professional ballet company made up of multicultural dancers thrives under the tutelage of Virginia Johnson, a founding member of the company who returned in 2009 as artistic director. Johnson joins Carol Jenkins to discuss how black dancers have forged their way through the narrow confines of the majority white ballet world. She also talks about the influence of DTH founder, Arthur Mitchell, the emergence of Misty Copeland, and how black women and girls have become more visible in ballet through social media and reinventions of the art form. (Taped: 3/29/17) Black America is an in-depth conversation that explores what it means to be Black in America. The show profiles Black activists, academics, business leaders, sports figures, elected officials, artists and writers to gauge this experience in a time of both turbulence and breakthroughs. Black America is hosted by Carol Jenkins, Emmy award winning New York City journalist, and founding president of The Women's Media Center Watch more at http://tv.cuny.edu/show/blackamerica Subscribe to Series Playlist: https://bit.ly/2DsQvnD Subscribe to the CUNY TV channel: https://bit.ly/2GmGb13 Follow CUNY TV: Facebook:   / cunytv   Twitter:   / cunytv   Instagram:  / cuny_tv   YouTube:   / cunytv75    LinkedIn:  / cunytv   Find more from CUNY TV at https://tv.cuny.edu