Malia Johnston BPSA

Choreographer/Performer

A graduate of the UNITEC Dance programme with a Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts (Contemporary Dance Major), Malia is a respected and experienced teacher, performer, and choreographer. She has choreographed two touring works for Rifleman Productions to date and will continue to build on the company repertoire while maintaining industry experience.

Malia is a recipient of the Tup Lang Award for emerging choreographers [see www.creativenz.govt.nz] and has received choreographic commissions from a number of high profile dance companies in New Zealand. For Touch Compass she has created The Big, the Bad and the Beautiful, 10 of Hearts, Spoke, Infinite Sides, and managed the Acquisitions 06 season; and for Footnote Dance Company has created One Way Pendulum and Working Title [left]. She was the contemporary dance choreographer for 2006 television series "So you think you can dance", and is the principal choreographer for the NZ Wearable Arts Awards. [See www.touchcompass.org.nz, www.footnote.org.nz, www.worldofwearableart.com]

Malia is a regular guest tutor in tertiary level dance schools in New Zealand, including Auckland's UNITEC and the New Zealand School of Dance, and has performed with Touch Compass, Curve dance collective, and Graduate Dance Company. [See www.touchcompass.org.nz ]