Lauren Johnson always loved dance.
35 years ago, she and her good friend Dorothy Poppe founded the St. Clare Dance Program in Staten Island, the same borough where she was born in 1962. At this program, she inspired countless young dancers through her teachings and dedication to the art of dancing.
That’s who Lauren Johnson was: a pioneer, somebody who opened doors for people through commitment and compassion.
Here at HSTAT, we know her as Ms. Johnson.
Ms. Johnson was a wonderful teacher who many remember as a very important person. She was always there to help students follow their passion with dance. We remember her and her family, including her three kids Brian, Cristian, and Elena Yasin as part of the HSTAT community. She was a constant help for many. The sweetest, most filling soul. She has left a big hole in our community that can only be filled by beautiful memories of her.
While interviewing people about her, I saw a consistent pattern of lovely words and stories that describe her beautifully.
To Ms. Sandy, she was a beautiful soul, “We did summer school together, she was so nice and sweet, we became friends throughout the whole summer.”
“We bonded through dance, both our children did competitive dance and we met in Connecticut. She was awesome” says Ms. Siergar, who worked with her for the better of two decades.
Ms. Bohbot remembers her as an amazing person: “She was a co-worker of mine, she was very passionate about dance and yoga. She was an amazing soul.”
Ms. Karvunis worked with Ms. Johnson for over 20 years. “In 2000 she was hired to work with dance and physical education, she was our first yoga teacher here in Tele. She will always be remembered as a warm hearted person.”
Lots of her students remember her as a hard working person who always encouraged others to follow their passion with dance. Her memory will always stay alive here at Tele – no one can compare to her contribution to our school.
Mr. Morton was a close friend of Ms. Johnson for years, and in her passing he has taken on teaching her dance classes. Mr. Morton always looked up to her, and he valued her strength. “You could never have guessed she was sick, she came to work so strong.” She taught him how to be softer and calmer. She was a role model for him. During our interview, he came close to tears talking about her.
A question that had a major impact on Mr. Morton is “If she were here today what would you say to her?” This question led to a “Stop, don’t do this to me” response, playful, but serious.
The relationship between Ms. Johnson and Mr. Morton transcended a regular work relationship, and in her passing, Mr. Morton has taken on the job of leading our dance program. He is currently in the process of choreographing dance performances for the Winter and Spring Art Showcase this Thursday, January 9th. This job was previously done by Ms. Johnson, and in memory of her, Tele decided to rename the show “The Lauren Johnson Winter and Spring Art Showcase”.
I was lucky to be able to talk to Ms. Johnson’s daughter, who has taken on the role of leading the St. Clare Dance Program, the same one that her mother co-founded 35 years earlier.
“Ms. Johnson was so many things for me. Apart from being the most caring and supportive mother she was also my best friend. As a child she was my dance teacher and inspired me to become a professional dancer, giving me my greatest passion in life. We shared so many passions in life, dancing, choreographing, musical theater, reading, writing… the list goes on and on. What we often lacked in material wealth, Mom made up for with love. Anyone who knew Ms. Johnson would describe her as incredibly kind and selfless. She often thought of others before herself. She had an artistic and carefree spirit towards life, a true yogi. Her smile could brighten up any room. Ms. Johnson was also an extremely hard worker and taught me that the most meaningful things in life would never come easy. Even when all odds were against her she would persevere and have hope for a greater tomorrow. I have never known someone so small in stature to have such great strength and resilience.”
“I would often say the Shakespeare quote to her ‘Though she be but little she is fierce.’ When she wasn’t teaching she would spend time reading in book clubs or crafting articles to submit to the New York Times. Ms. Johnson was most passionate about creating and teaching dance. In addition to being a teacher at HSTAT, she also ran a dance program through St. Clares Church on Staten Island for 35 years. She gave children a space to learn how to dance and to create friendships within their community. Ms. Johnson is remembered as being a patient teacher who always let students have fun! I can see the way her eyes would light up when she would watch her pieces come to life on stage. ‘They had greatness!’ she would say, when the students performed exceptionally well. Mom taught me to appreciate the simple things in life as she always did. These simple moments with her: dancing to Santana in the kitchen, reading in our backyard, sipping coffee on a long Sunday morning and discussing the latest show, this is what I will miss most. These simple moments hold the most space in my heart.”
Ms. Johnson has left a legacy at Tele that lives on through the people she impacted and the work she put in to build up our Arts program.
