Johanna Diez

“Above all, I find inspiration in modern dancing and yoga, because these are moments when I’m by myself and only listen to my body, my soul, and my thoughts without letting others influence me.”

Intercru: Where are you from? Where are you living/working now?

Johanna: I’m from Kassel, a city in the middle of Germany and it’s where I’m currently living. Kassel isn’t such a big city, but at the moment it’s nice to live there anyway because I can easily travel to various places from the middle of Germany. However, my goal is to move to a larger and more interesting city in the future, for example Hamburg, Paris, or Munich because there are better chances to grow and to connect.

I’m currently working in Kassel in a restaurant and in Fulda as a dance teacher (ballet). If I have any modeling jobs I usually have to travel within Germany.

What got you into modeling?

I started modeling about a year ago, first mostly for myself and then partly for a professional career. I came to modeling through a good friend of mine. He had already modeled at the time and he is still modeling successfully. I had never really been involved in modeling at that time and that’s why I first reacted rather negatively. On his suggestion to model, I said something like, “Oh no, that’s not for me, thank you, but I’m not going to do that.” A few weeks later I already said, “Yes maybe, I’ll think about it.” :D

Today I’m really happy and thankful that I’ve given it a try. In addition, I had my first free shooting with a very great photographer, which also led me to continue. The modeling scene is such a creative and collaborative team effort between passionate artists and that’s why I’m happy that sometimes I can be a part of it.

You’re a dancer as well. Would you say that your dance background has helped you in the modeling world?

Absolutely! Also the other way around too. For dancing and modeling you need a good feeling for your body. I’ve been dancing since I was a little girl, so I always had a good feeling for my body and expression. Moreover, I always liked to be in front of the camera because of the dancing and I was also able to choose expressive poses from the very beginning of shootings.

On the other hand, modeling has helped me a lot for my expression and self-confidence in dancing. So I’m very happy about the combination of them. At the moment, my focus and passion is mostly dancing, which is why I’m super happy about the second influence!

What is your favorite thing about going on a photoshoot?

Of course it’s a nice feeling to be in front of the camera and to know that we create great shots, which gives you a lot of self-confidence. Especially if I can combine modeling with dancing or something sporty in general, this is always the best for me, because then I follow my passion and my hard work pays off.

But moreover I’m always happy to meet new, creative people in order to connect and to grow.

Where do you find creative inspiration?

Above all, I find inspiration in modern dancing and yoga, because these are moments when I’m by myself and only listen to my body, my soul, and my thoughts without letting others influence me. Of course, it also helps me to follow other artists, models, photographers or dancers during their work process. I like to surround myself with passionate, focused, and creative people and of course I also find inspiration via social networks such as Instagram or Pinterest.

Who are some of your favorite photographers, models, and artists right now?

Some of my favorite photographers I already shoot with are definitely @kristiansickinger, @lena_steinke, and @mpassin because every shoot with each of them was very pleasant and the results were amazing every time! I’m also a big fan of Peter Lindbergh’s work, or the dancer @kyliesheaxo, who inspires and motivates me a lot.

What is your favorite movie of all time?

Oh, that’s a difficult question... I really like movies by Quentin Tarantino, but also all the cliché dance movies that exist hahaha.

What’s your favorite animal?

My favorite animal is definitely a cat. Because first of all, I have a cat and I’ve always had one but furthermore I can relate with cats. A cat is such an elegant animal, which I love because it has so many parallels with dancing, especially with ballet or contemporary dance. Cats are really independent, which I’m also and cats are very clean and stubborn animals.

What type of music do you listen to? What is your favorite song right now?

I listen to a lot of different music! I actually like everything you can dance to. One of my current favorite songs is “Issues/Hold On” by Teyana Taylor. But I could list a long list of other great songs.