Beginning in Fall 2024, Maile Johnson (BFA ’24) Will Choreograph for BYU Theatre Ballet and Theatre Ballet Studio Company as Assistant Director
Maile Johnson graduated with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in dance in April 2024. Now, she’s set to join the Department of Dance as adjunct faculty and assistant director of Theatre Ballet Studio Company where she will primarily be choreographing new works for the company. What prepared her for this new role? She credits the ballet and contemporary choreography classes she took in the BYU Department of Dance and the experience she gained choreographing on Theatre Ballet Studio Company as a student.
While at BYU, the ballet choreography class taught by Hilary Wolfley had the most impact on Johnson as a choreographer. “That’s where I learned everything I know about being a choreographer,” she said. “I still use a lot of the tools [Wolfley] taught us. In that class I discovered how I personally like to choreograph and what works for me.”
Johnson danced for BYU Theatre Ballet for five years, three of which she served as student president. In 2022, she co-choreographed an original, full-length ballet titled “Robyn Hood” with Wolfley and fellow student Alex Hatch (BA ’23). Then, her piece “Weathering” was chosen to be performed at The Ballet Alliance held in El Paso, Texas in 2023. At The Ballet Alliance, she was awarded a scholarship to study choreography under Eva Stone, a renowned contemporary and ballet choreographer. She has since restaged “Weathering” multiple times, including for her capstone project. She was chosen to present her work virtually at the 2024 CORPS de Ballet International conference and is a finalist for the 2024 New Century Dance Project (New Mexico).
Johnson’s choreographic process always begins with the music. After finding inspiration through music, she creates a spreadsheet where she blocks out sections of the piece. Every row of the spreadsheet represents an eight count of music and every column a person. “Some people tease me about my spreadsheets but it's just how my brain works,” she said.
When asked to describe her choreographic style, Johnson said, “Classical on bottom and gestural on top,” referring to the difference between the style of the upper and lower body movement.
Johnson’s testimony and spirituality play a major role in her choreography process and style. Before choreographing, she often says a prayer to ask for guidance and inspiration.
“In Wolfely’s choreography class we talked a lot about being creative creatures because we come from God, who is the ultimate creative being,” Johnson said. “You shouldn't think ‘I’m not creative. I’m not good at choreography,’ because we were literally born to create.”
It is that innate creative nature that fuels Johnson’s love for choreography. “I fell in love with choreographing because it was a creative side of myself that I had never explored before,” she said. “I love taking already existing dance steps and finding ways to alter them in a new way.”
Johnson acknowledges that choreographing can be intimidating. “To those who may be nervous to choreograph, I would tell them to try not to focus on making a perfect end product,” she said. “I fall into that trap often. Instead, I think that enjoying the process of exploration is just as, or perhaps more, important than creating a perfect product.”
As adjunct faculty and assistant director for BYU’s Theatre Ballet Studio Company, Johnson will be assisting Wolfley with choreographing and staging “Carnival of the Animals” and other original pieces. She will also be teaching ballet and Pilates classes within the Department of Dance. In the future she hopes to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in choreography and continue teaching at BYU.