Dondraico Johnson ’s career has spanned from working alongside icons like Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Destiny’s Child to choreographing, and even appearing in, blockbuster films such as Hairspray, Stomp The Yard, and Step Up 2 The Streets. His Emmy-nominated choreography for Genius: Aretha highlighted that blend of artistry and precision, and most recently he brought that same focus to ZOMBIES 4, the next chapter in the popular Disney Channel film franchise.
In a wide-ranging conversation, Johnson opened up about his smalltown beginnings, the mentors who shaped him, his career milestones, and his advice for young performers striving to break through.
From South Carolina to the World Stage
“I’m a country boy. I grew up in South Carolina. I was an athlete playing football, baseball, and running track. I didn’t come from a performing arts school,” Johnson admitted. “To this day, there isn’t one in the area I grew up in, and I’m actually trying to figure out a way to bring one there because there are so many entertainers in those Southern woods.”
Despite the lack of formal training, Dondraico Johnson always felt drawn to the arts, sharing “If it was dramatic, if it was singing, if it was dancing, if it was musical theater or something on my television, it engulfed me. I would just be like, ‘where is that at?’ I’d look outside my window and see deer and trees, but on TV I’d see Times Square, Hollywood and Broadway.”
His mother recognized his spark early, manifesting for him and ensuring that he was destined for something more beyond their small town. “She told me at 14, ‘You’re going to move away from here, and you cannot come back. You see life in colors, and the arts are going to take over.’ At the time, I didn’t know what she meant, but she was right.”
A pivotal moment came when Johnson attended an audition for Lisa Lopes’s, aka Left Eye, production company, initially just to support his friends and cheer them on. Then he decided to join in on the fun until he realized his friends were getting cut and he was being asked to stay and continue. “That really sparked something in me, like, ‘oh, this is possible!’”
He became an alternate for Lopes’s group and soon after began touring, leaving college to pursue the arts full-time. “That’s how I got here. Looking back, my football coaches said they knew something was different about me. I didn’t care if we won or lost as long as the band was playing. I think it’s always been there, but that was the moment the shift happened.”
Learning from Mentors and Icons
Throughout his career, Dondraico Johnson has found inspiration and guidance from the legends he admired on screen and stage. “There’s Travis Payne, who worked with Michael Jackson. There’s Jamie King, who was Madonna’s creative director. My best friend Jamal Sims is the movie king, he does Aladdin and so many other projects. Then there were the Nicholas Brothers, Debbie Allen, Shaunette Heard. The list goes on of people who inspired me.”
One of his most impactful experiences came while working on Genius: Aretha. “Courtney B. Vance showed up on set every day and knew everyone’s name. He treated everyone with kindness. I watched how he worked without raising his voice, how he navigated the set, and made everyone feel seen and heard. I learned so much just by watching him.”
Big Dreams Ahead
For all of his accomplishments, Dondraico Johnson still has dreams he’s determined to realize. “I haven’t done a Broadway show yet, so that’s a big one for me. I have to be very specific in my asking—I want to do an amazing Broadway show that’s super successful, where everyone loves the story, the dance, and the acting.”
Beyond Broadway, he’s also developing original projects. “I’m in the process of developing my own TV shows. One of them lives in the Spartacus/300/Game of Thrones world. I love that world, and I haven’t done that yet. That’s something I’m really looking forward to.”
Wisdom For Up and Coming Talent
“My advice to aspiring performers would be to keep going. Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t. Don’t let the walls in your head close in on you to create self-doubt. It’s possible. Just be ready when the time presents itself to show that you really want it. We have access to so much training and information online. Use social media, use the internet, study, and when you meet the right person, they’ll help you develop your craft even more.”
Most importantly, he stresses persistence. “The worst thing you can do is give up, because then you find yourself living a life of depression. If I was able to get out of a small town with one streetlight and build this career, then it’s possible for anyone.”
Johnson is proof that talent, resilience, and an unshakable belief in one’s vision can turn dreams into a lasting career. His journey from the woods of South Carolina to stages and sets around the world serves as a testament to the power of perseverance and the importance of lifting others as you climb.
You can see Dondraico Johnson’s latest work in ZOMBIES 4, streaming now on Disney+.
