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Johnny Loves Johann

@johnnylovesjohann

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Celebrating the Joy of community through dance & Bach's cello suites ❖

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"I love that in one evening the audiences are invited to experience multiple perspectives on what Bach’s music can be.” - Johnny Gandelsman, violinist and one of the creators behind JOHNNY LOVES JOHANN

JOHNNY LOVES JOHANN pairs Johnny’s folk-inspired violin interpretation of Johann Sebastian Bach’s complete cello suites with original choreography performed by its creators—Johnny (@johnnyg2703), John Heginbotham (@johnheginbotham), Caili Quan (@caili.quan), Jamar Roberts (@jamarrobertsofficial) , and Melissa Toogood (@meltoogood).

In an interview, Johnny reflects on the early beginnings of the project: “After spending about five years performing the suites, often all six in one evening, I started feeling slightly strange about being on stage by myself, playing two hours of essentially dance music, without any actual dancing'...

'That's when the idea for JOHNNY LOVES JOHANN was born. Having worked with choreographers and dancers for over two decades, I knew that a project like this would allow me to continue the learning process by going deeper into this music.”

You have four more chances to experience JOHNNY LOVES JOHANN through this Sunday, April 19 only 📅 head to joyce.org to reserve your seat! 🎟️

This event forms part of @carnegiehall's United in Sound: America at 250 Festival.

#JoyceTheater #JohnnyGandelsman #LiveMusic #JohannSebastianBach

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So much love at The Joyce Theater for “Johnny Loves Johann”!!! Opening night was incredible and it is always so wonderful to have dance luminaries like the iconic ballerina Virgina Johnson in the house! Performances are now thru Sunday April 19th! Visit www.joyce.org for info and tickets!! 💜
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#thejoyce #johnnylovesjohann #aprilatthejoyce #joyatthejoyce

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Congrats to #modernwomen21stcenturydance contributor @meltoogood who danced in the New York premiere of “Johnny Loves Johann “ tonight at @thejoycetheater

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“The violin’s nimbleness allowed elements of folk music to bubble up to the surface: the dance steps, the lightness of spirit, the humor, and the unvarnished joy of invention.” - Johnny Gandelsman, violinist

#OpeningTomorrow, JOHNNY LOVES JOHANN invites audiences to hear and observe the virtuosity of legendary composer Johann Sebastian Bach. Together, Grammy Award-winning violinist, producer, and 2024 MacArthur Fellow Johnny Gandelsman (@johnnyg2703), along with acclaimed choreographers John Heginbotham (@johnheginbotham), Caili Quan (@caili.quan), Jamar Roberts (@jamarrobertsofficial) , and Melissa Toogood (@meltoogood) perform this collaborative work that you won’t want to miss!

📅 APR 14 -19
📷 Photos by @mgiannavola
🎟️ joyce.org

This event forms part of @carnegiehall's United in Sound: America at 250 Festival.

#JoyceTheater #JohnnyGandelsman #LiveMusic #JohannSebastianBach

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WQXR's "Dancing On-Air" series explores the connections between dance and classical music. For our final episode on Saturday, April 11 we'll be "Dancing On-Air" with @johnnylovesjohann.

Violinist @johnnyg2703 has spent much of his career with the music of J.S. Bach, learning and performing the complete Cello Suites on his instrument. Now, that music is taking on a new life as a dance work—made in collaboration with choreographers @johnheginbotham, @caili.quan, @jamarrobertsofficial, and @meltoogood—opening at @thejoycetheater next week.

Tune in on Saturday at 9 a.m. to hear the full segment with Johnny Gandelsman and Caili Quan, and for a chance to win tickets to see "Johnny Loves Johann" at the Joyce on Wednesday, April 15!

Video credit: @nelshelbyfilms

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Johnny Gandelsman (@johnnyg2703) on the evolution of @johnnylovesjohann and origins of his relationship with Johann Sebastian Bach’s cello suites 🌟

Grammy Award-winning violinist, producer, and 2024 MacArthur Fellow Johnny Gandelsman unites with acclaimed choreographers @johnheginbotham, @caili.quan, @jamarrobertsofficial, and Melissa Toogood (@meltoogood) for JOHNNY LOVES JOHANN #NextWeek! 🎻

📅 APR 14 - 19
🎟️ joyce.org
📹Video by macfound

This event forms part of @carnegiehall's United in Sound: America at 250 Festival.

#JoyceTheater #JohannSebastianBach #JSBach #CelloSuites

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Coming up #NextWeek—@johnnylovesjohann! 🌟

Named "a violinist who can do anything" by the Philadelphia Inquirer (@phillyinquirer), Grammy Award-winning violinist, producer, and 2024 MacArthur Fellow Johnny Gandelsman (@johnnyg2703), unites with acclaimed choreographers @johnheginbotham, @caili.quan, @jamarrobertsofficial, and Melissa Toogood (@meltoogood) for JOHNNY LOVES JOHANN.

This New York premiere pairs Johnny’s folk-inspired violin interpretation of Johann Sebastian Bach’s complete cello suites with original choreography performed by its creators. JOHNNY LOVES JOHANN unfolds as a vibrant and intimate conversation with Bach’s music, celebrating the dance and humanity at the heart of these iconic works.

📅 APR 14 - 19
🎟️ joyce.org

This event forms part of @carnegiehall's United in Sound: America at 250 Festival.

#JoyceTheater #JohnnyGandelsman #JohannBach #CelloSuites

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Tickets are live 🎟️🎻

We are beyond thrilled for the beautifully moving, surprising, and joyful Johnny Loves Johann (@johnnylovesjohann) to premiere in New York City. Whether you love dance, the music of Bach, or the sound of the violin... this one is for you.

Join DH Artistic Director @johnheginbotham for a week of performances at The Joyce Theater, April 14–19, with acclaimed violinist Johnny Gandelsman (@johnnyg2703).

-->Link in bio to grab your seats!

Photo by @emaiannavola
Design by @kennethparris3

#JLJCommunity #TheJoyce #NewYorkDance #Bach
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[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A poster advertisement for Johnny Loves Johann at The Joyce Theater. The main color is a light orange, with black and white thick text and cut outs of the choreographers - Caili Quan, Jamar Roberts, Melissa Toogood, and John Heginbotham - and Johnny Gandelsman.]

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On the fifth and final night of @worksandprocess’ Underground Uptown Dance Festival, we presented @johnnylovesjohann. This work pairs Johnny Gandelsman’s folk-inspired interpretation of the Bach Cello Suites – performed live on violin – with original choreography by John Heginbotham, Caili Quan, Jamar Roberts and Melissa Toogood. The resulting work is an intimate and playful exploration, celebrating the dance and humanity at the center of this iconic music. This evening’s performance includes movements of the fifth suite, choreographed by Caili, and movements of the third suite, collaboratively choreographed by John, Caili, Jamar and Melissa.

Panel
Johnny Gandelsman, Violinist
John Heginbotham, Choreographer
Amy Kolling, Moderator, Senior Director for Artistic and Production,
Carolina Performing Arts, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Caili Quan, Choreographer
Jamar Roberts, Choreographer
Melissa Toogood, Choreographer

Team Members
Scenic Sculpture Design: Arlene Shechet
Costume Design: Maile Okamura
Lighting Design: serena wong
Executive Producer: Cristin Canterbury Bagnall
Producer: Lilach Orenstein

Dancers
John Heginbotham (@johnheginbotham)
Caili Quan (@caili.quan)
Jamar Roberts (@jamarrobertsofficial)
Melissa Toogood (@meltoogood)

Musician
Johnny Gandelsman (@johnnyg2703), Violin

Carolina Performing Arts and the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts serve as lead co-commissioners for Johnny Loves Johann. This work also received commissioning support from the @thejoycetheater’s Stephen and Cathy Weinroth Fund for New Work (with additional support from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund); the @modlincenter for the Arts at the University of Richmond; Works & Process; and @dance_the_yard. Additional funding support was provided by Jody and John Arnhold, Alva Greenberg, Michael Hostetler and Erica Pascal, John Mittleman, Marty Peretz, Michael and Amy Tiemann, and Ken and Florence Umezaki. Part of #JanArtsNYC and @apap365.
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Video: @still1

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Bach, but with dance! 🎻💥

Works & Process Underground Uptown Dance Festival at the Guggenheim (@worksandprocess) presents Johnny Loves Johann - live Bach by violinist Johnny Gandelsman (@johnnyg2703) with choreography by John Heginbotham (@johnheginbotham), Caili Quan (@caili.quan), Jamar Roberts (@jamarrobertsofficial), and Melissa Toogood (@meltoogood), plus two works by Omar Román de Jesús and BOCA TUYA. Check it out!

Tuesday, January 13, 2026 at 7:00 PM.
--> Tix in bio

📸 @mgiannavola

#johnnylovesjohann #bachsuites #johnnygandelsman #johnheginbotham #JLJCommunity
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[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: The image is 5 people - 1 violinist (Johnny Gandelsman) and 4 choreographers (Caili Quan, Jamar Roberts, John Heginbotham, and Melissa Toogood) candidly imaged while in movement. They are in front of a concrete-gray backdrop and are in natural light.]

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Our gratitude to Johnny Gandelsman, Melissa Toogood, John Heginbotham, Lilach Orenstein, and the whole team for Monday night's incredible performance and conversation! Excerpted from the larger work which has been in development across four residencies, "Johnny Loves Johann" allowed us to experience Bach in new ways—through Gandelsman's sensitive interpretation, Toogood and Heginbotham's playful and whimsical choreography, and most importantly, the joy found in their collaboration. We couldn't imagine a better way to conclude our year! As always, we appreciate our BMCM+AC community for allowing us to share these moments of curiosity and joy with you.

Please visit @johnnylovesjohann to learn more about the full work, and remember there are performances coming up May 1-3, 2026 at UNCSA in association with the Thomas S. Kenan Institute!

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