Creator of Caro J
Anisa
Carolina Johnson
Anisa Carolina Johnson (They/Them) is a dance choreographer and performance artist mesmerized by the rhythms of life. Building on their diversified training background, Johnson brings presence and precision to their work, combining the technical discipline of classical genres together with the somatic experience of contemporary styles through a process-based creative lens.
A professional in contemporary and tap dance, Johnson is proud to have worked with respectable choreographers such as Lar Lubovitch, Cyrian Reed, S. Ama Wray, and Linda Sohl Ellison to name a few. Spreading dance accessibility throughout their community, Johnson teaches and performs with the education company for Backhaus Dance and will be apprenticing their contemporary dance company in the 2026-2027 season. As a performing tap dancer, Johnson dances with DXX Tap in Tucson, Arizona; Project Tap in Seattle, Washington; and alongside their mentor Reggio McLaughlin in Chicago, IL.
Founder of CaroJ, Johnson recently presented their choreography, “Mutters of Rockaway,” representing queer voices at the Choreographer Collective LA Spring Festival. In all of their work, Johnson ignites the artistic community by incorporating different mediums of art and prioritizing the use of live music collaboration. They emphasized this mission in their current production, on the subject of Existing, an enticing evening of existential philosophy presented through dance choreography set in the round. The performance was preceded by an exhibit displaying the sculpture and textile artwork of Artist Sadie Rose. The evening featured five works choreographed by Anisa Carolina Johnson as well as works by guest choreographers Ariel Scott, Joao Ducci, Julia McCullock, Riley Parish, and Mo Goodelllow.
Johnson holds a BFA in Dance Choreography and Performance from UC Irvine where they were granted the Donald Mckayle Endowment for Dance and The Claire Trevor Society Scholarship as recognition of distinguished commitment to their creative pursuit.
Artistic Mission
Caro J captivates audiences with a mission to bring communities together by redefining society's sense of presence through abstract movement art. Work by Anisa Carolina Johnson strives to break barriers between movement styles and different mediums of expression. Consistently investigating the qualifications for what we call art, these projects aim to spark introspection and innovation in an evolving world.