Carole Johnson, distinguished Artistic Director Emeritus and Founder of National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA) Dance College in Central Coast New South Wales (NSW) Australia and Founder of Bangarra Dance Theatre Australia is coming to Temple.

Carole Johnson, a Philadelphia High School for Girls and a Juilliard Graduate and soloist with the Eleo Pomare Dance Company, was a founding member of the Association of Black Choreographers (ABC); established and directed New York City’s DANCEMOBILE; was founder and editor of the dance theatre magazine "FEET", the first news publication devoted primarily to dance of and by African-American peoples; was the Affiliate Artist for the City of New York in 1970; received the New York State Council for the Arts Fellowship to study dance in Africa; was president of Modern Organization for Dance Evolvement (MODE) which organized and sponsored the First National Congress of Blacks in Dance in cooperation with the Black Music Center, Indiana University Bloomington in 1973.

Through her vision, NAISDA Dance College was established. It became the first dance course in NSW, Australia to receive Higher Education accreditation. Aboriginal/Islander Dance Theatre (AIDT), a student dance company, was established in 1977 when they went to Nigeria to participate in FESTAC. In 1989 the professional dance company, BANGARRA DANCE THEATRE, emerged from AIDT as Australia’s Indigenous modern dance company that tours the world. Spanning 40 years working with Indigenous Australians, Ms. Johnson has developed a series of lectures, master classes and an exhibit to introduce contemporary Aboriginal Dance performance.