She was the daughter of retired Air Force Lt. Col. Sidney Johnston and his wife, Suzanne, founder of the New Mexico Ballet. At 15, she began training on scholarship with the School of American Ballet, the with the Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Harkness, Ballet West and the New Mexico Ballet. grew up in Albuquerque. She graduated from Eldorado High School in Albuquerque at 16 to pursue her performance career.