Meet the Makers: Malia Johnston
Published: Thursday 27 March 2025
Introduce yourself and your arts practice.
Kia ora, I’m Malia Johnston, Artistic Director of Movement of the Human—a creative collective that brings artists together to shape live performance. At the heart of our work is the audience experience, and we weave together movement, light, sound, and visual design to create immersive, multi-sensory performances. My journey started in dance, but I quickly found my way into choreography and, over time, expanded into directing performances across dance, theatre, large-scale events, and ceremonies.
What’s your favourite thing about what you do?
I love the magic of bringing people together. Dance has this extraordinary ability to communicate what words can’t, and I’m endlessly fascinated by the small, intricate moments in a creative process—the unexpected discoveries, the problem-solving, the way people collaborate. I love being in the studio, watching dancers bring movement to life and seeing how art fosters connection.
What’s the hardest thing about what you do?
There’s never enough time! Making art requires wearing many hats, especially in this country, where you have to be more than just an artist. Juggling the creative with the practical—funding, logistics, planning—can be overwhelming. It’s a choice, and one I love, but there are always more things to do than hours in the day.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Someone once asked me: If you had to make the show today, what would it look like? That question has stuck with me. It’s about embracing the present and finding clarity in the now—communicating your big ideas today, not waiting for some perfect future moment.
What’s the best show you’ve seen this year?
Thom Yorke, hands down. And a contemporary ice-skating show in Montreal—it was absolutely mesmerizing.
Who are your favorite artists/theatre companies/musicians etc. and why?
This is tough because I love so many different creative voices! But here are a few:
- New Zealand dancers—always at the top of my list.
- The Pixies, Portishead, Thom Yorke—their music is woven into my memories.
- James Thiérrée—his performance work is extraordinary.
- Johan Bourgeois—a huge inspiration in the world of contemporary circus.
What was your inspiration behind Tōrua?
The name Tōrua came from my colleague Rodney Bell—it describes two energies coming together. The work emerged during the pandemic, a time when we had to rethink how theatre functioned. We started exploring how both performers and audiences could have autonomy over their positioning in a live space. That led us to play with perspective—shifting audience orientations, experimenting with movement in different environments, and developing material outdoors. Tōrua is about presence, connection, and the relationship between body and place.
What was your experience working with the dancers to curate Tōrua?
It’s been incredibly rewarding. This work is deeply collaborative—the dancers generate their own material, directing their own solos before expanding into duets and trios. My role in Tōrua is less about choreographing and more about curating what these artists create and how they want to be represented – In this work I watch and I listen—allowing the dancers to respond to each new space we enter. Watching them navigate and transform these environments has been a privilege.
Describe Tōrua in three words
Let's make it five: Alchemy of Body and Land.
What can audiences expect from Tōrua?
Expect to be transported—not to some distant place, but into the fabric of your own city. Tōrua brings an intimacy to urban spaces, revealing their hidden textures. The experience is filmic, shaped by a rich soundscape created by Anna Edgington and Eden Mulholland. The audience moves through the streets with the dancers, immersed in raw, physical, and deeply authentic performance.
