Matthew Johnson Harris

In honor of World Theatre Day, I want to look back to this past weekend, where I had the opportunity to participate in the Alvin Ailey Extension ( ) Performance Workshop. With only 16 hours of rehearsal and 20 minutes of tech (huge shoutout to the Ailey production team), this group built something truly special. Many of the participants were not dancers, and most identified as nonprofessional performers, yet they showed up fully, with courage, openness, and joy.

I choreographed a 10-minute piece titled All the World Is a Stage, tracing Broadway dance from African social dances to popular icons like Michael Jackson and Beyoncé. This was the eight-week expanded version of a four-week dance and culture residency I previously presented through The Public Theater Public Works program. Course and curriculum available. DM for any variation of this workshop.

This was one of the most fulfilling experiences I’ve ever had. It reminded me that theater, at its core, is about connection. For me, theater is a spiritual practice. The duality of the theater masks reflects the duality of life. Comedy and drama. Joy and sorrow. light and shadow. It reminds me that we are co-creators, and that the most meaningful work we will ever do is the creation of our own lives. As William Shakespeare wrote, all the world is truly a stage.

A special thank you to Lisa Johnson Willingham( ) and the entire Ailey Extension team, as well as all of the choreographers and staff who made this weekend possible. And to the participants: I may have taught you dance, but you reminded me that at my core, I am a teacher. I feel most fulfilled when I can share art as a vessel for healing and self-discovery.

Thank you for showing up so vulnerably and stepping into a space that may have felt unfamiliar or uncomfortable and for creating something magical in the process. I am deeply grateful for each and every one of you.

On March 3, 2026 I was asked to give the keynote at the NYSAIS LGBTQIA Educators Summit. It was the first time I publicly shared so much of my lived experience out loud. The talk was called “The Stories We Tell.” And at its core was a simple idea: Sometimes the stories we tell ourselves can be more limiting than the oppression we face in the world.

I shared parts of my life I have rarely spoken about publicly, growing up, rejection, trauma, imposter syndrome, and the long process of learning how to trust myself. I’ve spoken in many rooms before. Years of teaching classes and working in Broadway rehearsal rooms have taught me how to walk into a space with confidence. But this felt different.

This wasn’t directing.
This wasn’t choreography.
This was standing in my truth.
And honestly… I was terrified.

But something beautiful happened in that room.
Being surrounded by LGBTQIA educators, people who dedicate their lives to creating safer and more expansive spaces for young people, felt deeply affirming. Thank you and NYSAIS for the opportunity.

Teachers changed my life. And at the core of who I am… I am a teacher.

This was the first time I stepped into this version of myself. And I can’t wait to see where the next page leads.
If your school, organization, or community is looking for a speaker, I would love to continue bringing this conversation into new rooms.
(📸= )

This year, I began a journey as an Affiliate Artist with and recently completed my first Dance & Culture residency: From Broadway to Beyoncé: An African Diaspora Journey Through Jazz Dance & Beyond.

Over four weeks, we traced jazz dance from Africa, to enslaved Africans preserving movement traditions, to the Great Migration and Harlem, to Broadway, and into popular culture through artists like Michael Jackson and Beyoncé. The course blended lecture and embodied practice, exploring how Broadway dance and jazz are not isolated styles, but living extensions of African-diasporic rhythm, storytelling, and intention. I’m currently teaching an expanded eight-week version as part of the Alvin Ailey Performance Workshop, and it’s been incredible to continue building this work in a new space.

Art accessibility has always been a core value of mine, and I’m deeply grateful to the program leaders and my educational advisors and for welcoming me, caring so intentionally for your students, and supporting me as I developed this residency.

The ultimate goal of the class is simple: to use dance as a vehicle for joy, to illuminate the lineage of Broadway jazz within the larger culture, and to remind us that the movement has always been rooted in purpose. More on the course soon. For now, just gratitude. Thank you, Public. 💛

— MJH

Join me for The Mosaic Series for its 8th Annual Anniversary Concert, a vibrant celebration of music, interfaith holiday joy, and artivism in support of Middle Rising, the rebuilding campaign for Middle Church. I founded The Mosaic Series in collaboration with Middle Church. The Mosaic Series has produced 14 events, including 3 virtual concerts, featured over 100 Broadway performers, and raised more than $100,000 for various organizations. This year, the concert will take place on Sunday, December 15th, at Judson Memorial Church, and all every dollar benefits initiatives central to the Middle Church Arts community, including the recently launched Art & Soul Podcast, Future Mosaic Concerts, arts in worship, and other transformative arts programs that nurture creativity, healing, and social change—ensuring that the legacy of Middle Church as a thriving space for artists and activists continues in its new home.

Tickets come in a variety of gifting options from $8.00 - $500 to ensure that the event is accessible to all. There are online and in person tickets. Link to Eventbrite in my bio! Full cast announced next week!

AUG SEP OCT 2024

It’s been a whirlwind 3 months. I got to vote for the first black woman candidate for president. Embarked on lots of new creative relationships with beautiful souls on different projects. Way too many people to list but you all have made such an impact on me. I have experienced multiple moments of healing via and my own inner work and personal quest of self discovery. Thank you to everyone who has sent me messages in regard to “Art & Soul”. New episodes will be dropping biweekly every Sunday at 11 AM Eastern! Lastly, it feels great to be back home at ! Be sure to check out the exhibit at called “The Edges of Ailey”.

I’m going to be a little less present on social media outside of collaborating posts with The Art & Soul Page till the end of the year. My annual end of the year social media fast and personal/physical growth challenge.

2 more months of 2024…. HEAL - RELEASE - FORWARD!

New opportunities and experiences can be exciting. They also can be triggering. In moments of self doubt and insecurity take a breath and repeat some of my favorite mantras.

Happy King Sunday. Here are some of my favorite quotes by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to live by. They make me a better citizen of humanity.

I used to HATE auditions. A shift in prospective and using mantras has helped me tremendously. In moments of self doubt and insecurity, take a breath and repeat some of my favorite mantras. Some I’ve created and others I’ve borrowed. I’m rooting for you. - Matthew Johnson Harris

I encourage us all to seek a life of authenticity over the temporary sensation of being liked.
In moments of self doubt and insecurity, take a breath and repeat some of my favorite mantras. Some I’ve created and others I’ve borrowed. I’m rooting for you. - Matthew Johnson Harris

I encourage us all to seek a life of boundaries and authenticity over the temporary sensation of being liked. In moments of self doubt and insecurity, take a breath and repeat some of my favorite mantras. Some I’ve created and others I’ve borrowed. I’m rooting for you. - Matthew Johnson Harris

Every new year I get inquiries to help people actively change their bodies. I want to change the way we think about our bodies with mantras that are better for our mental health. Scientists say that when a mantra is chanted repeatedly, it creates a neuro-linguistic and calming effect. Some I’ve created and others I’ve picked up while on this messy journey called life. Say these the next time you step on a scale, do a workout, or struggle with body image. Your words have power and an energetic shift could be a few words away. I’m rooting for you. - MJH