Audio transcript

Lee Johnston

JOANNE KING: The dance team at the Arts Unit of the NSW Department of Education have produced this podcast as part of the 'Listen @ The Arts Unit' series. This podcast is produced on Gadigal and Cadigal land of the Eora nation. We pay our respect to the Traditional Custodians of the land with further acknowledgment of the many lands this podcast will be listened to across Australia.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, storytelling, music and dance, along with the people hold the memories of Australia's traditions, culture and hopes. Let us also acknowledge any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and people in our presence today who guide us with their wisdom.

[intro sting]

ANNOUNCER: Listen @ The Arts Unit.

[upbeat music playing]

JOANNE KING: My name is Joanne King, and I am the dance performance officer at The Arts Unit for the NSW Department of Education. This episode, Thomas chats with NSW Public Schools Senior State Dance Ensemble tutor Lee Johnston. Lee trained at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. In 2004, she joined the National Dance Company of Wales after dancing with LINK Dance Company in Australia.

As a choreographer, creative producer and rehearsal director, Lee has worked with international and Australian dance companies. Lee has performed throughout the UK, Europe, China, Cuba and India. She has a Master's in Management, Arts and Cultural from the University of Australia and currently works at the Marian Street Theatre for Young People. This is a chance to learn more about Lee's experience in the dance industry and what it's like working with the NSW Public Schools State Dance Ensemble. Thanks for listening.

THOMAS: Hi. My name is Tom, from Blayney High, and we have Lee Johnston here. Thank you for joining the podcast.

LEE JOHNSTON: No worries.

THOMAS: I just have some questions to ask you, if that's fine.

LEE JOHNSTON: Yes.

THOMAS: So what led you to become a dancer and choreographer?

LEE JOHNSTON: Oh, wow. So I'm not sure anything led me to it, as in I finished high school, and I was in the State Senior Ensemble in high school. And I started a degree at University of Sydney. And I found myself choreographing whilst on the bus to and from or making up exercises for class. And that's when I was in the flow. That's when I was happy and calm.

So I just looked at dance degrees because I didn't even know that such a thing existed. So from there, I applied for some dance degrees. My first audition for the dance degree was with WAAPA in Perth, and I got in. And I loved the audition, so I just took it, so I didn't bother going to the rest of the auditions for QUT or anywhere else. So I went, and I thought, I'll just do the degree, get it out of my system, and then I'll go back to a proper degree, you know, 'proper degree'. But I did it, and I turned out I was OK at it. So I just kept going from there.

THOMAS: And you said that you were recently-- well, you were part of the State Dance Ensemble. How did that help you moving forward into your tertiary education for dance?

LEE JOHNSTON: Oh, I think it had given me experience that I wouldn't have gotten just going to my normal dance classes every week at my local ballet school. So with the State Senior Ensemble, I got to go to Darwin. There was a big festival, high school dance festival, I think. I don't remember what festival it was, but I remember going.

I remember attending loads of workshops, and I remember performing on the big theatre in Darwin. And then in Year 12, of all the years to do this in, we did a tour to America. And we were so fortunate. We went to New York. We did a class at Alvin Ailey. We watched performances us. And then we performed our pieces at Disney World, in Orlando, Florida.

And then we went down to Miami, and it was the high school dance festival there. And you had to audition for all the schools. And I got an offer for a school in America. And I almost took it. And I thought, no, no, I don't want to leave my family, so I didn't take it.

But it was a confidence boost. I did things I never thought I'd do. I did classes in New York City with Alvin Ailey in high school, you know? And so I just would never have done that otherwise.

THOMAS: When you were choreographing, what do you believe is the most important part of the creating process of a dance?

LEE JOHNSTON: Wow, that's a big question. Really it's about believing in what you're doing, once you find the thing that you just can't stop thinking about it, and you have to get it out. So I have a very typical process now for myself that makes me feel comfortable, that I know it's going to turn out OK.

So I need the music. So I need the music and the idea to be holistic and work together. Otherwise, one doesn't come from the other. I just can't make it work. So once I've got the music, I map out the music rhythmically and in bars of whatever the time signature is. And then I can grow the idea from there. But I have to be obsessed with that idea.

So I've had big gaps in choreographing, so I just haven't choreographed anything for years. Because I've not had something that's driven me to choreograph. So if I don't have that thing driving me, it's just not going to come out.

THOMAS: Is that drive what helped you create your probably most famous piece, 'They Seek to Find the Happiness They Seem'?

LEE JOHNSTON: Oh, yes, and that was the most easiest thing to choreograph in the world just because it just flowed out of me. So I found the music that matched my idea. And I would just close my eyes, listen to the music, and it would appear in front of me.

And then I'd get in the studio. I'd make the movement. I'd teach the dancers the movement. They were totally on board. We all knew it was happening and working and right. So it flowed and it was magic. It was such a magic piece, yeah.

THOMAS: And in the years leading up to COVID, you were overseas with the Wales National Dance Company. How was it working with an overseas company instead of somewhere in Australia?

LEE JOHNSTON: That's a really interesting question. So actually, I've had more experience overseas, in Europe and the UK, than in Australia. So I did LINK after my WAAPA degree, so I did one year in that. But even that, it's still a university-based company. And so you're still in an institution. You're not really experiencing what the Australian dance industry or scene is really like.

And after that, I went straight to Europe. And I spent my most of my whole career in Europe. I had a short stint back here in 2014-15 with Sydney Dance Company, which was absolutely magical. But yeah, most of my time is over there. So I'm still actually learning more. I'm learning about the Australian dance scene. Yeah.

THOMAS: And while you were over at the National Dance Company of Wales, you were both a choreographer and a rehearsal director. What would you say is the biggest difference between the 2?

LEE JOHNSTON: Oh, so when you're a choreographer, you're driving the room with your vision from the outset. But when you're a rehearsal director, you are that choreographer's right-hand person. And you have to buy into what they're trying to do and support the dancers to also discover that vision and buy into it. So that's your role in that aspect.

And then the choreographer leaves after 6 weeks, sometimes only 4 weeks. And as the rehearsal director, you have to carry that energy and vision on for another year, another 2 years, 3 years. You carry that information from the choreographer, and you have to keep their vision true and alive. So that's the difference.

And I loved rehearsal directing. I absolutely loved it because I got to work with a team of dancers in-depth day in, day out, year on, year end, and help them grow and become the most magnificent performers that they could be.

THOMAS: Once you'd finished over at the National Dance Company, you'd come back to Australia and started becoming the executive director at Marian Street for Young People. What then led you to work alongside the Arts Unit for state dance ensembles?

LEE JOHNSTON: Oh, that's a wonderful question. So I came back to have my second baby here in Australia. And I was on maternity leave. And I was rebuilding my-- I was starting a new life in Australia. And I'd left my dance career behind, and I had a full network and of contacts. And I had lots going on.

And I had to start again, in a way, here in Australia. And so I was looking around for what I could do. And I thought about the Arts Unit. And I knew that this existed and was happening. And I thought, how can I be one of those teachers that I had?

And I looked it up. And there it was. There was this form on the website. And so I filled out the form, thinking no one will ever contact me. And then they did. And I feel really lucky because I get to do my job at Marian Street Theatre for Young People, which is all new for me and new learning.

I'm in arts management. And it's theatre. It's a different art form. But I get to come and work back in my art form and do what is my expertise and do what I love and I'm passionate about. And that's just a really nice balance for me, and I feel really privileged. I'm really grateful to be able to do it as it comes up.

THOMAS: Would you have any advice that you'd like to give any aspiring dancers that would like to end up choreographing or moving overseas for dance?

LEE JOHNSTON: Yes. It's hard. It is hard. And it's wonderful. It is that mix of hard and wonderful that comes with everything in life. And there's going to be hard times, and there's going to be joyous times. So you just have to stay grounded and true to yourself the whole time.

And you will grow and change. And new things will become your new truth. So I knew, at some point, I needed to come back here. And so I did. I got up, and I left it all, and I came back. And I knew that I had to go there after graduating. I knew I had to give it a go. And I stuck it out.

And I was challenged. Sometimes, I didn't think I was good enough. At times, I didn't think I would ever make it. At times, there was a long stretch. I never got any roles in pieces that I was happy with. And I got really self-critical. And I dug deep.

And I thought, just enjoy it. Just try to enjoy it. Go on tour and visit magic places in Europe. And you're dancing-- great.

So the advice would be, it's not going to be some glorious, magical thing all the time. You're going to have to dig deep. At the end of the day, it is work. And that comes with everything.

THOMAS: Thank you, Lee, for all that information. It really helped hearing all the things that you've gone through, and how you've progressed through your career, and how other people are able to do the same things. Thank you for being on this podcast.

[upbeat music playing]

JOANNE KING: Thanks for tuning in to 'Listen @ The Arts Unit', our series introducing the 2023 NSW Public Schools Dance Ensemble tutors.

ANNOUNCER: For more information on our programs explore our website at artsunit.nsw.edu.au.

Background music licensed by Envato Elements. Copyright, State of NSW (Department of Education), 2023.