Ariyan Johnson was invited as a Dance Historian to research, speak, and coordinate the March 19, 2023, event at the Ebell Club of Los Angeles called Celebrating the Life of Raven Wilkinson. Robyn Gardenhire the founder and artistic director of City Ballet of Los Angeles invited me to speak about the legacy of Ms. Raven Wilkinson, the first African American woman to dance for a major classical ballet company who broke the color barrier when she danced full time with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo dance company. Ms. Johnson came on board as a collaborator to set the program and tone of the evening.
