Philadelphia Ballet's first Black male principal is hanging up his shoes

It is not everyday people stay at the same job for two decades. It’s something that gets noticed, because of its rarity. That’s why Philadelphia Ballet Principal Dancer, Jermel Johnson, is being celebrated.

After 19 seasons with the Philadelphia Ballet, Johnson is ready to hang up his ballet shoes. He has dedicated his life to his passion and inspired viewers with some of ballet’s most iconic roles. His physical grace and technical mastery have made him a fan favorite and trailblazer becoming the first black male principal at the Philadelphia Ballet.

“I’m excited. The rehearsal process is tough. It’s time. I’m excited to get to acknowledge my last moments in the building as a dancer. I’m ready to put it all on stage and let it flourish,” said Johnson of his upcoming final performance with the company on May 15th, 2022. His final bow will be on the production of Hans van Manen’s Humankind.

Johnson began his career in dance at the Baltimore School of Dance. The dance department is very rigorous and physically demanding. He went on to study at the School of American Ballet in New York City on scholarship. In 2003, he began what would be a 19 year career with the Philadelphia Ballet.

He was inspired to pursue a career in ballet when he was just a little boy, “I saw dance for the first time when I was like eight or nine. I saw the nutcracker on TV. It was Balanchine’s Nutcracker, the one with Macaulay Culkin. It was awesome and the first time I had seen ballet. I knew it was what I wanted to do.”

His love for ballet guided Johnson to Philadelphia, where he graced people with his beautiful performances for nineteen seasons. “I loved being in Philly. I loved the audience. I loved the company and what we were doing. I loved the founder, Barbara Weisberger. I connected with her early on and she shared so much of her history and her love of dance with me,” said Johnson.

He did not see himself dancing this long, but destiny had other plans.

Johnson has performed a variety of roles, including Robert Weiss’ Messiah, Christopher Wheeldon’s Swan Lake (Prince Siegfried), Jerome Robbins’ Afternoon of a Faun, and George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker (Cavalier). His favorite is Balanchine’s Midsummer Nights Dream.

“It was so much fun, One of the most challenging roles I’ve ever danced. The choreography for that opening number is probably one of the hardest variations that I’ve had to do. It’s really quick, but so much fun at the same time,” said Johnson.

Over the course of his nineteen plus years in dance, Johnson has seen a lot of changes in diversity, but it hasn’t always been that way. “I’m not afraid to be the first. You gotta start somewhere. There are lots of people who have paved the way and really opened the doors. I was never deterred by not seeing enough diversity. If I am able to be part of helping to diversify then I am all for it,” said Johnson, who is the company’s first Black male principal.

He said over the years companies have shifted in values. Representing the demographic makeup of the city the company is in and putting on performances that include different communities have become more important. Dancers are also more vocal about things that are offensive.

Ballet is very physically demanding. It requires hours and hours of rehearsal and training and then hours and hours of performances. Johnson has been dealing with pain management and body conditioning his whole career.

He explained, “At some points my body hurt so much that I thought I was going to have to end it, which is partly why I ended up going into massage therapy. I feel like I spent more time trying to manage my body and make it so I could perform than actually dancing.”

Johnson says dancing is a very athletic endeavor. Dancers train just like any other athlete. Dancers are constantly monitoring what they eat and how they treat their body. Conditioning and working out are also all involved. Dancers must also practice and study during their down time. He is currently a licensed massage therapist and is using that knowledge to help other dancers. He hopes to continue assisting the Philadelphia Ballet on their wellness team.