Performing Art – Portland
Matt is an interdisciplinary artist specializing in contemporary dance. He particularly values and enjoys improvisation as movement fully embodying the present moment. In addition to improv, his movement and choreography draws influences from release, modern/ballet forms, ritual, trance and club dance movements. He is currently very inspired by electronic dance music. Matt is also a painter using mixed media, specializing in oil paint. Hailing from NJ, he holds a BFA in Dance form New York University Tisch School of the Arts where he attended on full scholarship. In NYC he danced with Expandance, Michael Mao Dance, and Ekilibre Dance Company. Additionally during this time, Matt got certified and began teaching Vinyasa and Traditional Hot Yoga. After first learning about Buddhism at NYU and then beginning to practice Eastern meditative traditions, he decided to put aside worldly ambitious for a while to attempt to tame his unruly mind. After 6 years in NYC, Matt on went to train in traditional, strict Rinzai Zen Buddhist monasteries first in California the in Okayama Japan for over a year at Sogenji temple under Shodo Harada Roshi. Moving to Portland Oregon early 2014, Matt worked with Top Shake Dance and currently working with Push/Fold and PDX Contemporary Ballet. Matt hopes to bring dance into light as an entry point to the truth. He aspires to have his own fully fledged contemporary dance company; to continue to paint and create visual/ performance art collaborations ; and