Nobody, including Matthew himself, would have predicted that he might begin dancing while completing his undergraduate work in Psychology at Pomona College in Claremont, CA. And yet, this is exactly what happened. Having discovered his intrinsic passion for movement, Matthew continued his dance training at the American Dance Festival, Philadanco, University of the Arts, and the University of California Santa Barbara. He earned an MFA in modern dance from the University of Utah, completed his certification as a Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analyst and Therapist with Integrated Movement Studies, and holds a massage therapy certification from the Philadelphia School of Massage Arts. He has danced professionally with Santa Barbara Dance Theater, The University of Utah Performing Dance Company, Dancefusion, and Anne-Marie Mulgrew and Company at The Yard. He has worked with choreographers Jerry Pearson, Stephen Koester, Christopher Pilafian, Stephanie Nugent, Christina McCarthy, Doug Elkins, Yousouff Koumbassa, Ming Yang, and Lindsey Drury among others. Matthew’s own work has been produced in Oregon, Minnesota, Utah, and Santa Barbara, and can be seen on the dancing page. Matthew currently resides in Salem, OR with his wife Kendy and son Eliot, where he is Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance/Theatre and artistic director of PeopleDance at Willamette University.
