Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Conner.
Matt, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I joined Durham Ballet Theatre in 2018 as a 37 year-old former theatre kid with zero dance background. The team was putting on Cinderella and they needed a dozen adults at the Ball for her to attend, willing to teach all the dance I’d need for that role. I loved the welcoming feel and the discipline of the rehearsals, not to mention the fun of getting to perform at the historic Carolina Theatre of Durham. DBT performances incorporate aerial silks, trapeze, and Lyra into the show, and the season I spent learning the basic steps for the party scene also let me see how the aerialists worked, and that connected me to aerial classes. I’ve developed a love for aerial silk, performing in our Winter Showcase and as a pirate in Peter Pan. I joined the Board in 2024 and took over as Chair in 2025. I love communicating with our dancers and their families, seeing the broad diversity in ages and social backgrounds that go into the work we do.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Coronavirus hit the art of live dance like a sledgehammer. After months preparing a huge show in 2020, Durham Ballet Theatre went dark for over a year. We’ve come back, and over 1,000 members of the Durham community bought tickets to Aladdin in May 2026 – the best-selling show in nine years! And we’ve grown back to a cast of over forty local dancers for the last three seasons. But we miss the continuous connections to dancers, volunteers, and donors, and we’re grateful for grants from sources like the Durham Arts Council and North Carolina Arts Council for helping us to survive a year with no audience.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Durham Ballet Theatre is an amazing way for adults to get involved with stagecraft. In the last two years, I’ve been a stage manager, a dancing pirate on aerial silk, a prop maker, a crowd member in a Silk Road market scene, and a giant shaggy dog – long story, but I got lost in my helmet and ended up wandering off stage and into the crowd! What I love about the group is the ability for anyone – Peter Pan had an age range from 3 to 67 – to share the stage. People who thought their dance careers ended in their early 20s have gotten lead roles in their 40s and given fantastic performances. And I’m proud to be part of a company that cares about representing the real community instead of the ballet stereotype – we have a range of gender identity on stage and a mix of racial backgrounds, especially in lead roles, and it means a lot to me that the kids in the audience can see themselves in the spotlight.
What’s next?
The next big project for us is the Winter Showcase in December, a series of about ten pieces with a focus on aerial performance, in an intimate setting at our home studio. Then, in January, we’re auditioning anyone who wants to participate for the May production of Little Mermaid at the Carolina Theatre in Durham! I’m helping behind the scenes on both of those works and excited for old friends and new to be a part of them. If your readers want to know more, our website is DurhamBalletTheatre.org and our socials update regularly with ticket and audition links.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://DurhamBalletTheatre.org
- Instagram: durhamballettheatre
Image Credits
Featured artists include Lilit Hogtanian, Jared Brunson, Sadie Grider, and Abby Hylton
