Watch This Dancer’s Fancy Footwork to Classical Music

@thisisnotaprilatall My 4th time trying to post something without community guidlines coming at me praying this goofy ahh dance makes it Dc: ‍♀️ #fyp #dancetiktok #dance #dancechallenge #footworkdance #freestyledance #heelclick ♬ Suite from “The Nutcracker” ballet op. 71a March (Tchaikovsky) – Orchestra of Classical Music

The most creative dancers out there know you can dance to any kind of music—it's all about following the rhythm and coming up with great moves. And few people are as good an example of this as April Joy Johnston. This talented performer often records herself dancing to all kinds of music and posts them to social media. While her videos of her moving to funk and hip hop tracks are amazing, her brilliance can be best appreciated in the clips where she dances to classical music.

Johnston's choreography isn't what you'd expect. She doesn't display the soft, poised moves of a ballerina. Instead, her routines show that there is no one way to dance to classical music—it's not all just ballet or delicate waltz steps, despite what music lovers have thought for centuries. The dancer seamlessly uses her contemporary dance expertise and simply follows the song, giving herself the freedom to sway and even jump.

Johnston moves so naturally to classical music that, if you were to watch her without sound, you'd think she's dancing to any other kind of music. It's through her dancing that she tears down any supposed walls between genres. Sure, it's most commonly enjoyed sitting down in front of an orchestra or calmly listening to a record, but that doesn't mean it's meant to be stiff or inaccessible. Just like all music can be reduced to melody and harmony, it can all also be enjoyed and danced to by anyone who comes across it.

Whether dancing to Vivaldi's Summer or The Nutcracker, Johnston's videos have a hypnotic quality to them—a testament to her abilities both as a dancer and a choreographer. While she seems to have now stepped away from classical music for a bit, her clips dancing along to more contemporary songs are just as riveting.

To stay up to date with the gifted dancer, you can follow Johnston on Instagram and TikTok.

April Joy Johnston is a talented dancer who challenges the ways someone can dance to classical music.

@thisisnotaprilatall Vivaldi – Summer!!! ☀️ dressing the occasion too (kinda). This one was hard to do so I already know autumn and winter are gonna take me tf out Dc: ‍♀️ #dancing #dancetiktok #dance #fyp #freestyledance #footworkdance #dancechallenge #heelclick #classicalmusic #vivaldi #bridgerton ♬ Vivaldi: Summer (L'estate): III. Presto – Johannes Helmer Pedersen

Johnston moves so naturally to classical music that, if you were to watch her without sound, you'd think she's dancing to any other kind of music.

@thisisnotaprilatall Hit this real quick before leaving for class ✨ thnx for all the love and support, cannot believe this silly little dance got so much love Dc: ‍♀️ #fyp #dancetiktok #dance #freestyledance #footworkdance #dancechallenge #heelclick #classicalmusic #bridgerton #cancan ♬ Can Can – Rias Orchestra & Helmuth Brandenburg

The dancer seamlessly uses her contemporary dance expertise and simply follows the song, giving herself the freedom to sway and even jump.

@thisisnotaprilatall Alright we’re done with the classical music for a bit, this has gone TOO far✊ but for future classical music vids I’ll hopefully wear a Bridgerton looking outfit by then! #fyp #dancetiktok #dance #footworkdance #freestyledance #sturdy #heelclick #classicalmusic #bridgerton ♬ Fire the Cannons (1812 Overture) – Jochen Flach & Peter Ilych Tchaikvsky & Thomas Hewitt Jones

Johnston's videos have a hypnotic quality to them—a testament to her abilities both as a dancer and a choreographer.

@thisisnotaprilatall I think my last one is better in terms of dance moves but I personally like how energetic this one is ig heel clicks are part of my dances now tho Dc: ‍♀️ #fyp #dancetiktok #dance #dancechallenge #footworkdance #freestyledance #heelclick #sturdy #classicalmusic ♬ Can Can – Rias Orchestra & Helmuth Brandenburg

@thisisnotaprilatall Tbh, not a fan of this song so it was a drag and a lil boring doing this one, but here it is ig Dc: ‍♀️ ( tbh I don’t know if I’d even count this as a dance cus it’s so chaotic ) #fyp #dancetiktok #dance #footworkdance #freestyledance #heelclick #dancechallenge #classicalmusic ♬ The Flight of the Bumblebee – Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

@thisisnotaprilatall Couldn’t find a bridgerton looking dress around my price range so we’re going with this very cheap greek god looking one and I also couldn’t find any stockings in my closet so we’re going with short socks for now Dc: ‍♀️ #fyp #dancetiktok #dance #freestyledance #footworkdance #dancechallenge #heelclick #classicalmusic #blackpeopledancing ♬ Originalton – bastianosis

@thisisnotaprilatall Thought I’d do one of my favorite classical songs for my birthday! Thanks for all the love and support, yalls have a great day Dc: ‍♀️ #fyp #dancetiktok #dance #freestyledance #footworkdance #dancechallenge #heelclick #classicalmusic #birthday ♬ Messa da Requiem: II. Dies irae – Daniel Barenboim & Chicago Symphony Orchestra

@thisisnotaprilatall Another one of my faves IG: abr.illy (to see videos early ☺️) Dc: ‍♀️ #dancing #dancetiktok #dance #fyp #freestyledance #footworkdance #classicalmusic #dancechallenge #heelclick #abrilly #dancers ♬ G.Bizet, Carmen, Overture – AllMusicGallery