Dr. Philip Johnston trained in dance with Helen Lewis in Belfast before embarking on his professional studies at the London School of Contemporary Dance.

He danced for: Janet Smith and Dancers, Inge Lonnroth and Dancers, Collage Dance Company (Norway) and Illinois Dance Theatre (US). His performance career took him across the globe where he danced in major modern dance festivals including: the United States, Asia, Middle East, Europe and Scandinavia. Philip was a Principal Dancer with the English Bach Festival and appeared in many of their productions in London including: Covent Garden, The Royal Festival Hall, The Banqueting Hall and in major theatres across Spain and France. 

Philip was the Artistic Director of the Norwegian Modern Dance Company in Oslo. After relocating to the United States he taught in academe as an Associate Professor in Dance and Theatre. His Doctoral studies were in Theatre History and his MFA in Dance at the University of Illinois.  His publications include: The Lost Tribe In The Mirror: Four Playwrights of Northern Ireland and Nina Fonaroff: Life and Art in Dance.

Philip is also a certified teacher of the Alexander Technique having studied with Joan and Alex Murray in the United States. He studied T’ai Chi with Gerda Geddes at The London School of Contemporary Dance and is a life-long practitioner and teacher of T’ai Chi. 

Philip has choreographed over fourteen works for theatre including musicals and twenty-five dance works. He has directed for both theatre and opera. Philip has acted in several works for the theatre including: MC in Cabaret, Othello in Kabuki Iago’s Plot and as Oscar Wilde in The Importance of Being Oscar. Philip’s devised work TOM was presented by the Theatre at the Mill, Northern Ireland, in 2016 and 2018. His play Ottilie has been performed across Northern Ireland. His most recent directorial work was Border Fairies for Richard O’Leary at the MAC Belfast. 

Philip has been a guest teacher in: China, Germany, The United States. Malaysia and Denmark.

Film work and Television work includes: feature film Outland (Ladd Film Company), Face the Music (Channel 4 Productions)  Chain (Norwegian Television, NRK), Dance Umbrella London and Chance To Dance ( DuDance Belfast.)