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JohannaLjungQvist-Brinson (HANNA Q) started dancing at age 3, in her hometown Boras, Sweden. She has no memory; of not dancing ...her life in Sweden was dance, performing and teaching. Johanna auditioned to the state funded school, The University of Dance, Stockholm,(DOCH) Sweden, along with 350 other dancers, for a whole week all day long! Every year they hold auditions and people from all over the world come. The University of Dance accepts 12 dance students a year to their 3 year, full time program for dancers to earn a BFA in Dance Education, Dance Pedagogy / Choreography.

 

Johanna earned her degree while working as a professional dancer and teaching in Stockholm, Sweden. She taught at The Academy of Dance, Kulturama and more. She also toured in Germany and Austria. Then “London was calling ...”and she went over and studied at the famous school, The Pineapple School of Dance. Her hometown didn't forget her and Johanna received a State Art Grant, from them to go to Madrid, Spain and take private lessons in Flamenco Dance. ( Mercedes Leon and Albano de Zuniga , Estudio Mercedes y Albano)Then when back in Stockholm, Johanna performed with The Carmen Lucena Flamenco Dance Company. She also worked with one of Sweden's best Jazz Band, Frederik Noren's Jazz Band, produced, choreographed and danced in her Show “Jazz Snakes “at The Regina Theater. Johanna collaborated with many musicians performing, choreographed in different venues, Music Festivals, Rock Concerts and Music Clubs.

 

In 1987 she went to Manhattan, New York, meant to stay only for a year to take dance classes, get new inspiration from “the mecca of dance “. Studied dance at The Alvin Ailey School of Dance and many other dance schools in Manhattan ...But soon started teaching her own dance classes in NY. Johanna taught at the famous “Phil Black's on 50th street and Broadway “ and other Dance Studios. Two years later in 89' she formed her own dance company “The Hanna Q Dance Theatre “with 5 Dancers and 3 Musicians, playing live music to the dance performances. Johanna wrote the music, choreographed and danced in her “debut” production in NY “Hidden Messages “at The 18th Street Playhouse in Manhattan. A 3 weeks engagement. “Hidden Messages “got a big, 5 paragraph review in The New York Times, Sunday – Art's and Leisure's section. Johanna also had her own Dance Studio where she taught dance and gave Dance Performances.

 

Then the director of the prestigious school “ Academie  International de la Danse “ in Paris, France called and asked Johanna to come and teach Jazz Dance, for their professional dance education program, a 3 year program for students to become professional dancers. So off to Paris … while there, she formed a new dance company and performed at “Cafe’ de la Danse”. But after a year and a half she missed NY and came back, met a Texan, fell in love and married Max Brinson. They moved to Austin, TX .where she continued teach and choreograph with Ballet East, Dance Umbrella and Tapestry Dance. – “Austin is really beautiful with the lakes, river, Mediterranean landscape and so many wild flowers. I really did like the nature and it is a nice town, but we missed New York , again … Moved back , but were shocked to find how apartments , rents had sky rocked !!!”

 

Well, 1997 they bought a 200 year old white farmhouse with green trimmings ... in Dingmans Ferry. -” I love the Delaware River and Forest, it reminds me about the nature in my home province, in Sweden.” Soon Johanna gave birth to their lovely daughter, Lovisa.( now 18 years old ) She started a Dance Program for children at DV-ACE ( Delaware Valley Adult & Community Education ) that met direct after school and gave dance performances twice a year at the DDMS, Auditorium . They  also performed at local charities – fundraising events to help raise money. For example : The United Way of Pike , Camp Speer's Eljebar , PEEC's Earth Day Event , Delaware Township “ harvest feast”, School Functions , Milford Business Borough 's 4th of July Celebration , and more.

 

Johanna formed “Delaware Dancers “. A Non – Profit Organization, Dance Group .with a 501.C.3 status. She is the founder, president, teacher, choreographer of Delaware Dancers. Now after 12 years she has advanced dance students, including her daughter. In 2013 she received a grant award from The Pennsylvania Council of the Arts.( and started performing under Hanna Q Dance Company)

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May 2013 she founded HANNA Q DANCE COMPANY, a professional Contemporary -Modern Dance Company, based in NYC . She is the Artistic Director and Choreographer and have shown her work in Manhattan and NYC ever since at various places such as Dixon Place, West End Theatre, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and more.

Christine Jower , Dance Enthusiast Magazine wrote:

By Christine Jowers

  Johanna LjungQvist-Brinson’s skillful patterns in Equus bring out the best in her young Hanna Q Dance Company. She challenges her dancers lines to be elegant and their musicality to be sensitive, as they impress us with their enthusiasm and lightness in the air. There’s lots of promise here. Equus choreography by Johanna LjungQvist-Brinson.

 

Published on February 12, 2015

 

Impressions of Soaking WET February 2015