Malia Johnston
Choreographer

A choreographer and performance director, Malia has created a significant repertoire over the past 20 years. A recipient of the Creative New Zealand Choreographic Fellowship in 2013 Malia’s strong collaborative interests have seen her work with an incredibly diverse range of performers and arts organisations. Malia has created new works for a range of National and International arts companies.

With over 14 years of experience working on the World of Wearable Art Awards show Malia was the Artistic Director from 2007-2014 and in 2018 Will be the creative director for their 30th Anniversary show. Malia also directed the WOW show that toured to the International Arts Festival in Hong Kong in 2012.

Malia is commissioned on a regular basis to create performance works for companies and the tertiary dance environment, and has built up a significant repertoire of physical and technically focused works since 1999 and also works with theatre Director Emma Willis, with whom she has created four full length physical theatre works since 2007.

Malia is a guest choreographer and tutor at the New Zealand School of Dance and on Unitec’s dance programme and regularly creates new works for their Graduation performances. She has made over 14 works for Footnote Dance Company including Perlieu, which toured to Shanghai for the New Zealand National Day performance as part of the 2010 World Expo in China.

Early in 2015 Malia developed and directed the creative element for the Pukeahau National War Memorial Park opening in Wellington. Malia co-choreographed Mana Wahine for Ōkāreka Dance Company alongside Tairoa Royal and Tane Mete, which toured extensively throughout New Zealand in2014-2016 and made a new work on The New Zealand Dance Company, which toured to Europe in early 2016 titled Brouhaha.

Malia is an arts Ambassador for Te Auaha the new centre for creative industries in Wellington and will direct the opening for their building in early 2018.