When we first saw Melissa Johnson’s commercial featuring Custom Barres, we were thrilled. We sent the Master’s degree candidate a new freestanding barre and asked her to reshoot her class project for our site. (Both versions of the commercial are posted below - Enjoy!)We caught up with Melissa, who is on her way to becoming a quadruple threat in Hollywood: an actress, writer, producer and director, via email to find out more about her work, her studies and her dance workout.

Before:  

After:

Q You are still in school full time. What are you studying?

A I did undergrad at Yale University where I was a double major in Art with a concentration in Photography and Psychology with a concentration in Art Therapy.

I am currently working on an online Master’s degree in Creative Writing, studying to be a screenwriter. It is a accelerated 12-month program in which we take a different class every month. I’ll graduate this year!

Q Are you working while you pursue your master’s?

MJ I am a full time actress.

Q What is your career goal?

MJ I always tell people I want to be the female version of Denzel Washington, that is to say I want to be an actress/writer/producer/director.

Q Tell us about your Custom Barres commercial: Which class assigned the video project?

MJ The project was for my Character Creation and Development class. We were asked to pick a product that would compliment the main character from our thesis project. We were initially given a commercial rubric and asked to write the commercial script. The following week, were told to produce the commercials using either still photography or video.

Q How did you find out about Custom Barres?

MJ I have actually always wanted my own portable barre, so I just Googled it and found Custom Barres’ website!

A How did you come up with your creative concept?

MJ My character, Maria Ambitsiya, is a hardworking biomedical research scientist who spends most of her days in her lab or office; however, she harbors a secret love for her childhood ballet studies. The idea that Maria could come home after a really long workday and still be able to dance even though most studios are closed just wrote itself!

Q Tell us about your dance life: When did you start dancing?

MJ I've heard family stories that I started ballet when I was very young, like two or three, but it didn't last long enough to form a memory. It wasn't until college in 2008 that I was able to get back into classes. I have performed liturgical dance with my church since I was about 15.

Q Are there other dancers in your family?

MJ My aunt, Andrea, the actress in the second video, was the one who got me into all things entertainment really. She studied several forms of dance and performed in the theater for as long as I can remember. I've followed in her footsteps in many ways.

Q What forms of dance have you studied?

MJ I have taken classes in ballet, hip-hop, and modern. As well as liturgical praise dance at church.

Q Now that you have your own Custom Barre, where have you put it?

MJ I have in my living room, just like in the commercial!

Q What kinds of workouts or stretches are you doing at the barre?

MJ I mostly copy the barre work I do in class: pliés, ronde jambes, battements, that kind of thing.

Q Is there a dance performance space you use in LA?

MJ My church, One Church LA, actually has a non-profit artist resource space in North Hollywood called the ARC. They have a dance studio, which is where I have modern dance class on Thursdays.

Q What do you love about dance?

MJ I have a very busy mind. It seems like my thoughts as constantly moving at a rapid-fire pace. There are very few things that I can just lose myself in. Dance is one of those things. Plus I heard someone once say it’s the closest thing to flying, and I love the freedom of that.

Q What is the most important thing you’ve learned through being a dancer?

MJ I hate to be cliché, but Misty Copeland is kind of like my dance idol right now. You've seen her Under Armour commercial, "I Will What I Want." In it she talks about how she was basically told she'd never be a dancer, but she worked hard and gave it her all and now she's a soloist with a premier ballet company. Dance is like that; it gives back what you give to it. No matter who you are or your station in life, there's a type of dance for everyone and the harder you work at it the more it pays off. I love that about dance, and life.

[Note: That Under Armour ad features Custom Barres equipment!]

Follow Melissa on Twitter at @ahmusen