Herb Johnson III (Dance 2010) Performs for Dedication 2025

September 16, 2025

Herb Johnson III Photo by Juiceedope (Julius Johnson)

Dedication Day 2025 was September 15. Dedication is a Perpich tradition where new students and faculty/staff are welcomed into the Perpich community. The faculty speaker, Ryan Meaney (English Instructor), spoke about discovery, “School is for discovery. Discovery not just through gaining knowledge, though that is important, but discovery of who you are.” Our alumni speaker, Mat Ollig (Visual Arts 2002), shared a beautiful reflection on the evolution of dedication in his life and his artistic journey. Our alumni performer, Herb Johnson III (Dance 2010), gave a powerful Krump dance performance.

After his performance and catching his breath, Herb said, “Yeah, didn’t practice any of that,” a sarcastic statement that was met with giggles from the audience. “What I mean by that, when I say that, I’ve been practicing this for 20 years. So me being dedicated to that, I’m always prepared. Maybe I didn’t practice something, but when you practice your art and you’re dedicated to it in a way where you don’t need to turn to inspiration, motivation; you become your art. And even when you’re unprepared, you’re prepared.”

L to R: Herb Johnson III (Dance 2010) and Mat Ollig (Visual Arts 2002) pose together after the Dedication 2025 ceremony.

Herb Johnson III graduated from Perpich Center for the Performing Arts in 2010 and studied 3 years at Lundstrum Center for Arts. Herb is now at the University of Minnesota as a Hip-Hop dance instructor. He currently choreographs and performs solo and in groups 612 Crew, DeadPool, and Kudeta. Professional work includes iLuminate from America’s Got Talent, ROOTED: Hip Hop Choreographers’ Evening, and The Ordway Theater’s production of A Chorus Line. He choreographed G-Easy’s Halftime Show 2018, and Super Bowl 52 Halftime Show 2018 with Justin Timberlake. Johnson was a 2017 McKnight Dancer Fellow and received a 2018 Momentum: New Dance Works commission and a grant from the Foundation of Contemporary Arts. Additionally, he received a Jerome Travel/Study grant in 2018 to travel to Dusseldorf, Germany to attend European Buck Session’s annual Krump dance event.

Johnson III is a multi-disciplinary artist and Krump Scholar. As a leader of the Krump dance movement in Minnesota, he aspires to continue to build and bring visibility to the community through training within the style and event organization. When asked what he hopes to achieve with this fellowship, Johnson replied, “I hope to bring more visibility to artists in the Krump Dance community here in Minnesota through events. I also hope to dig deeper into music production to create scores for my own works in the near future.”

Mary Harding, Dance Instructor, with Herb Johnson III (Dance 2010)

In a previous interview in 2021, Mary Harding, Dance Instructor, remarked, “I am so proud of Herb and all he has accomplished. I am honored to be one of the many dance teachers that have been a part of his journey. Herbert’s talent and vision are amazing but what brings me the most joy is his generosity of spirit. He gives back to his multiple communities, he uplifts them through his teaching, choreography, events, and performance. I am so grateful that he continues to give back to Perpich.”

In that same interview, Herb reflected on his education at Perpich, sharing, “My time at Perpich enhanced my dreams to be a full time dancer/artist. Mary Harding taught me a lot, of course. Modern, Jazz, and Ballet, I was well informed, but those are not the big takeaways. I learned professionalism, many ways to create work, and integrity within dance, to name a few. I picked up great characteristic qualities during my time at Perpich and it plays a part in my professional career today and will forever.”