MATTHEW CUMBIE is a dancemaker, educator, and collaborator based in Washington, DC, and is the Associate Artistic Director of Dance Exchange. His work explores his interests in activism and improvisation, bringing a poetic lens to a specifically queer experience. He has been commissioned to create and share performances at places like Harvard University, Texas State University, Dance Place, Triskelion Arts, and AS220, and his interest in collaborative processes has led him to work with a wide range of artists, including Liz Lerman, Keith Thompson, Sarah Gamblin, jhon stronks, Paloma McGregor, Chris Aiken and Angie Hauser, and Annie Kloppenberg, among others.

As an emerging leader in arts education, Matthew has been commissioned to speak at conferences and gatherings, including the New York City Roundtable Arts in Education conference and the LGBT Health and Art Making conference (co-sponsored by George Washington University and the Human Rights Campaign), and to share his research and work in a long list of studios and classrooms. In addition to classes and workshops at institutions like New York University, Princeton, Sonoma State University, Brown University, and Dance Complex, he has been on faculty at Colby College, Queensborough Community College, and Texas Woman’s University.

Matthew began working with Dance Exchange in 2011, shortly after receiving an MFA in dance from Texas Woman’s University. He currently lives with his lovable dog Lucas and visits Providence often to see his partner and collaborator, Tyler.

Header Photo © Sasha Fornari