Artist Spotlight | Matthew Roberts
Photo by Mull Media
Can you tell us a little bit about your artistic journey? How did you first get interested in your medium?
When I was a kid, I was dragged along to an audition that my two older sisters were going to. I eventually grew restless just watching and after I went to the back of the auditorium, I started mimicking the dancers on stage. I still wonder what Ed Davis saw in me, but after noticing me in the back, calling me on stage, and having me mimic a few dance moves, he invited me to join his dance troupe. I quickly bonded with dance, and as I continued to water that seed, it grew from an activity, to a hobby, and bloomed into a career.
After I invited my friends to one of my dance shows, and received feedback along the lines of 'You did good, but we didn't get it." I decided to create dances that could be appreciated by both dancers and nondancers. Once I finished my training at the University of Akron's Dance Institute, I went to college to study choreography. Choreographing was the most powerful way I could convey my feelings, work through obstacles, and give honor to God. Sometimes I think I need the dances I choreograph more than those who see it.
What do you hope to convey through your art? Is there a message or emotion that you try to communicate to your audience?
I create to tell a story, to share an experience, to bring awareness, to challenge perspectives, to immerse with others, to assemble humanity, to encourage life, and to point to eternity. There's a foundation of faith behind my work, and my creations are like ebenezer stones in my personal story. They remind me of where I’ve been, and how far I’ve come and encourage me with hope. By sharing my story and the stories of others, I aim to restore and convey beneficial emotions that lead to healing.
Can you walk us through your creative process? Do you have any particular routines or rituals that help you get into the mindset of creating?
I've tried creating in different ways to keep the process fresh, sometimes the method changes depending on the dance. I enjoy the journey as much as the final product because there is a lot of personality brought into the process both by me and the dancers.
If I have an idea or theme, I usually try and find some sort of musical accompaniment, then I notate the songs and insert movements and phrases that are created through workshopping movement guided by improvisation and prayer.
What impact do you hope your art has on the Akron community? How do you see your work contributing to the larger conversation around art and culture in the city?
With immersive storytelling dances, I hope to artistically nourish the unity amongst neighbors, and without sounding too much like Mr. Rogers, we want to redefine the word 'neighbor' to extend past the people that live across the street from us, and acknowledge ALL people as our neighbors.
I hope these dances can encourage the community to approach conversations with humility and trust, and free us to engage each in fellowship that can strengthen and encourage our day to day lives. I'm interested in sharing and hearing the voices of dancers and artists familiar with dance just as much as those who have no interest or background with dance, and connect them through our stories about humanity.
