Ooen-s’tae Johnson grew up in Halls Creek on Jaru Country in the East Kimberley, on the edge of the desert. She comes from the Nyininy Jaru, Bard and Jawi people.

From a young age, she felt a strong pull toward performing. She had a raw, hidden talent and a burning desire to be on stage. At just eight years old, she led and choreographed a dance for four children, including her, in a community talent quest and performed it in front of her community.

In high school, she received the Performing Arts Award, which led her to study Aboriginal Performance at WAAPA for a year, where her potential was recognised by NIDA. Ooen-s’tae comes from strong cultural roots of storytelling, and performance is how she carries those stories forward. Give her a stage, and she will ignite the fire that makes them come alive.