Renowned dancer Virginia Johnson to receive 2026 Steven Caras Award
Virginia Johnson with master class at BBT’s studios.
Boca Ballet Theatre is pleased to announce that renowned dancer, choreographer, and artist director Virginia Johnson will receive the 2025 Steven Caras Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts at our 35th Anniversary Gala on January 18, 2026!
Virginia began her dance training in Washington D.C. with Therrell Smith and went on to study with Mary Day at the Washington School of Ballet. She graduated from the Academy of the Washington School of Ballet and eventually served as a University Scholar in the School of the Arts at New York University. She then joined Dance Theatre Harlem as one of its founding members. With a performing career spanning nearly 30 years, Virginia is recognized as one of the great ballerinas of her generation, dancing as a principal in ballets like Giselle, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Fall River Legend.
After retiring from performing in 1997, Virginia went on to serve as Pointe Magazine’s first editor-in chief. She served in this role for 10 years before being personally selected in 2009 by acclaimed Dance Theatre of Harlem co-founder Arthur Mitchell as his successor and as the company’s second-ever Artistic Director. During her fourteen-year tenure as director, Virginia revitalized the company’s cultural legacy by foregrounding Dance Theatre Harlem’s mission of empowering all through the arts. She made it her mission to advocate for female choreographers, particularly women of color, and to support diversity efforts through the co-creation of The Equity Project.
Virginia Johnson with BBT’s First Step students.
Over the course of her career, Virginia has received numerous honors, including a Young Achiever Award from the National Council of Women, an Outstanding Young Woman of America Award, the Dance Magazine Award, a Pen and Brush Achievement Award, the Washington Performing Arts Society’s 2008-2009 Pola Nirenska Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2009 Martha Hill Fund Mid-Career Award.
Boca Ballet Theatre is thrilled to add the Steven Caras Award to this impressive list of Virginia’s accomplishments!
We were thrilled to host Virginia for a master class at BBT’s studios and to have her instruct our First Step dancers in 2018. In addition to being an exceptional dancer, she is an incredible teacher and mentor, so having her in the studio was a real treat for our dancers. We cannot think of someone more deserving of this year’s Steven Caras Award. Please join us in congratulating her on January 18, 2026, at Boca Ballet Theatre’s 35th Anniversary Gala! More details below!
35th Anniversary Gala
Boca Ballet Theatre will celebrate its landmark 35th Anniversary Season at a gala featuring an exclusive performance and dinner on Sunday, January 18, 2026! Hosted at FAU’s University Theatre, BBT’s gala performance will feature professional dancers from American Ballet Theatre and Philadelphia Ballet, dancing a dynamic mix of classical and contemporary pieces from across ballet history. The show will also feature a special performances by Boca Ballet Theatre alumni Aurora Chinchilla of The Royal Ballet, Jason Williams of MOMIX, Sasha Lazarus of Giordano Dance Chicago, and Melissa Weber of Dance Key West.
Following the performance, guests will enjoy a selection of cocktails while the stage is transformed into an elegant dining experience set before one of Boca Ballet Theatre’s stunning backdrops. Guests will then join the stars of the performance onstage for an intimate dinner beneath the stage lights, where we can celebrate the incredible impact that BBT has had on South Florida’s artistic community for the past thirty-five years!
We hope you’ll save the date for our 35th Anniversary Gala. We look forward to toasting BBT’s legacy with the many patrons who have supported us over the years!