Sunday Funday: Ballet, teaching and a second creative act
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Patricia Johnson-Vierra began studying ballet in 1970 at age 10. She performed in The Nutcracker each year, dancing as a Page, a Mouse, and in the Waltz of the Flowers, under choreographer John McFall.
Her repertoire expanded to performances in Ruth Page’s Alice Through the Looking Glass, The Firebird , and Heuser’s Huapango, with additional Nutcracker roles in the Hot Chocolate and Coffee variations.
In 1976 after seeing the Dance Theatre of Harlem in Dallas, she met Arthur Mitchell, who offered a full scholarship to attend their summer program. At 16 years old she studied in New York with Mitchell, Shook, LeClercq, and Holder. That was the same year she joined Ronn Guidi’s Oakland Ballet as an apprentice and moved to Oakland soon after high school graduation to start her professional career.
While with the Oakland Ballet Patricia danced works by Massine, Sokolow, Loring, Wilde and Fokine. She also danced in other works such as La Boutique Fantasque, Rooms (Escape), Billy the Kid, The Rite of Spring, and Scheherazade.
Her four years with Oakland left her with lasting memories and lifelong friendships. Patricia later became a teacher in special education and an instructor with KidsExcel and has since retired from teaching. In March of 2025 she launched her online boutique JOHVIELLE where her artwork is available on bags, slippers, and other apparel.
