Ryan K. Johnson
Dancer
RYAN K. JOHNSON, MFA, is a dancer, choreographer, and body percussionist, and Executive Artistic Director of SOLE Defined, a trailblazing percussive dance company fusing Percussive Dance, Sand Dance & Technology based in Maryland. His work bridges music and movement through rhythm-driven performance, translating complex percussive traditions onto the human body to create layered soundscapes that blur the lines between dance, music, and theater. His performance credits include The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil, STOMP, Step Afrika!, After Midnight, Musicá (Amazon Studios), Ayodele Casel | REMiX (Assistant Director and Choreographic Contributor), and The Washington Ballet’s The Great Gatsby. His honors include the 2025 Arts Midwest Cultural Bearer Award, a NEFA National Dance Project Award, and residencies with NCCAkron, The Wexner Center for the Arts, and as the first percussive dance artist in residence with The Kennedy Center’s Office Hours program. Dance Magazine describes Johnson as “one of the foremost percussive
dance artists in the U.S.,” praising his “precision, musicality, and commanding presence.”
More information: www.rkjdance.com | Instagram @rkj.dance
