Immortal Icons of Dance with DO40 member Lauryn Johnson

About Immortal Icons of Dance

Immortal Icons of Dance was founded by Lauryn Johnson in 2021 as an initiative dedicated to increasing access to and awareness of dance history resources.

The project curates information and experiences from a wide range of primary sources, including institutional archives, books, articles, photographs, footage, and interviews, placing them in conversation with one another so that one source can help illuminate another. Immortal Icons of Dance seeks to preserve dance history by encouraging curiosity, conversation, and a deeper appreciation of the artists and stories that shaped the industry.

Meet Lauryn Johnson

Lauryn recently met with the Dancers Over 40 Board of Directors, and we encourage our members to connect with her through her website if they would like to contribute firsthand information, memories, audition experiences, and personal stories from Fosse productions and beyond. After all, our members are primary sources themselves.

In addition to hosting her podcast dedicated to collecting dancers’ oral histories, Lauryn has written for organizations including the George Balanchine Foundation, the Jerome Robbins Foundation, and the Vail Dance Festival. Her work has also appeared in Playbill, BroadwayWorld, and an upcoming issue of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society Journal.

When she is not researching or writing, Lauryn can often be found taking class at Steps on Broadway, teaching at Broadway Dance Center, or working evenings as an usher at the New York City Ballet.