College of Arts and Sciences Newsroom

Matthew Evans has seen how the performing arts translate around the globe through his international work with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, a culturally diverse troupe rooted in the African-American experience.

Evans, technical director of the University of Dayton Boll Theatre and a lecturer in the Theatre, Dance and Performance Technology program, traveled in May to Kazakhstan and Russia, and in September to China, to represent the U.S. and support DCDC’s performances in those countries.

Founded in 1968 to create performance opportunities for dancers of color, DCDC has a long history of teaching and collaborating on campus. Evans serves as the company’s production manager and lighting designer.

This weekend, Evans’ work as technical director and light designer will be on display in the UD production of the operetta Babes in Toyland, a collaboration of the Theatre, Dance and Performance Technology program and the Department of Music. Performances are 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1 through Saturday, Nov. 3, in Boll Theatre. For tickets, please call the University Box Office at 937-229-2545 or visit udaytontickets.com.

Evans started work with DCDC with the company's 2013 performance of Emergence at Boll Theatre. He oversees all production elements including lighting, audio, space logistics and scheduling, while also creating the lighting looks for performances.

DCDC’s performance in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, teamed the troupe with the Kazakh dance company, Kazyna Dance Ensemble.

“This was an opportunity for professional development, to be a cultural ambassador for the United States, and to discover how the performing arts work in another country,” Evans said.

DCDC and Kazyna’s performance was sponsored by DanceMotion USA and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. During the month-long tour, Evans collaborated with technicians from different countries to create a lighting design that would best complement the message of the dance.

“The first performance in Shymkent went great and we were able to have wonderful interactions with people who don’t share our language, but do share the passion for performing,” Evans said. “We’re all doing the same thing; we’re all performing artists. The only thing different is our language, and what better way to communicate than through dance where the movement of the body is the language.”

From Shymkent, the tour ran through Almaty, and Oskemen, Kazakhstan, before heading to Moscow, Russia, where DCDC sold out back-to-back nights at the historic Bolshoi Theatre allowing Evans to fulfill a lifelong goal.

“Just to step on the Bolshoi stage was something that I always wanted to do in my theatrical career,” he said. “Never did I ever dream that I would get the chance to create a lighting design on that stage and to actually stage manage a performance in it.”

After great success at the Bolshoi, the tour stopped in Ekaterinburg, Russia, where the group performed at the Ekaterinburg Opera and Ballet Theater and a final stop in Kurgan, Russia, at the Kurgan Philharmonic.

“This experience served as a prime example of how the power of the arts can enhance people’s lives, provide educational opportunities and reveal new ways of looking at the world,” said Evans, a University faculty member since 2011.

This past September, Evans and DCDC participated in cultural exchange activities with the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai in conjunction with the University of Dayton China Institute working with local students and a performing for university students in Suzhou. The University of Dayton is a sponsor of DCDC’s 50th Anniversary Season Tour, in addition to its ongoing University partnership.

Evans’ relationship with DCDC has allowed him to advance his career and see the world, and also set the stage for experiential learning in the Theatre, Dance, and Performance Technology program. His students benefit by assisting with DCDC’s campus and offsite productions.

“Matt Evans understands DCDC's performance technology needs and has developed a wonderful partnership that greatly benefits our students and all fans of DCDC,” said Michelle Hayford, associate professor and director of the Theatre, Dance, and Performance Technology program. “Through his professional network, our graduates and current students have gone on to have successful careers in performance technology and wonderful opportunities for professional development in their undergraduate years.”

In 2016, DCDC was a co-recipient of the New York Dance and Performance Bessie Award for Outstanding Revival, one of the dance world’s highest honors. Dayton Contemporary Dance Company ushers in the holidays with its family-friendly presentation of Charles Tazewell’s beloved 1946 children’s story The Littlest Angel on Friday, Dec. 14, and Saturday, Dec. 15, in Boll Theatre.

“DCDC has become very deeply rooted with UD,” Evans said. “Students now have the opportunity to step outside the academic setting and get more involved with the professional side of the industry. My students are learning by doing. I’m very thankful for the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company to provide that outlet for our students.”

For more information about the Theatre, Dance and Performance Technology program, please visit the website.

- Griffin Quinn ‘21