Magali Johnston-Viens

is part French and part Canadian but grew up mostly between Washington, DC, and Paris. They were trained at the Kirov Academy of Washington, DC from 2011 until graduation in 2016. In that time they also studied at the American Academy of Dance of Paris. They continued their training post-graduation with the Goh Ballet Youth Company in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Within those years, they also attended many summer intensive courses, including Paris Opera Ballet SI, Victor Ullate SI, and the Royal Danish Ballet SI, where they were awarded the Royal Danish Ballet Birger Bartholin Scholarship in 2016. 

Upon returning to the United States, Magali joined Pittsburgh Ballet Theater's School’s Graduate Program, where they performed corp de ballet roles with the company. This is also where Magali had their first experiences with choreographing. The first was with a pas de deux that they choreographed for the 2019 student showcase; they then had the opportunity to collaborate with multi-media artist Karina Smigla-Bobinski and her work titled ADA for a collaborative improvisational performance commissioned by the Mattress Factory - Contemporary Art Museum.   

Magali has danced professionally with Ballet Palm Beach under the directorship of Colleen Smith and with Minnesota Ballet under the directorship of Karl von Rabenau. While dancing with MB, Magali had the opportunity to choreograph on the company on many occasions. They have choreographed new works for Dances on the Lakewalk 2021, 2022, and 2023. Magali was granted the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council's Individual Artist Project Grant for their work at Dances on the Lakewalk in 2023. That same summer, Magali choreographed and curated a mixed repertoire performance of LGBTQIA+ and Women choreographers. Magali is now based out of Brooklyn, NY. They have most recently performed with Dances Patrelle under the directorship of Francis Patrelle, Sekou Walton Dance, Neglia Ballet, and has worked with choreographer Sarah Yasmine Marazzi-Sassoon. Magali has had their choreography performed at, HOT Dance at Dixon Place, CounterPointe12 presented by Norte Maar, Emergence Dance festival NYC at Gibney and 7 Midnight Movement Research at Arts on Site NYC.