Today we’d like to introduce you to Lena Matthews
Hi Lena, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, where I simultaneously trained in competition dance and attended ballet school since the age of 8. I left home to move to New York City when I was 15 years old to attend the Institute for American Musical Theatre. I was escaping a situation of sexual abuse by my stepfather. I moved in with the prior director of IAMT named Andrew Drost, and for the next two and a half years I got to live for free while I worked tirelessly to make it in this industry. He is no longer the director of the Institute as he participated in the sexual assault of students. The school is now under the wonderful leadership of Michael Minarik! During my time at IAMT, I had the pleasure of training under some top names in the industry. I continued my high school education online at night whilst training for Broadway during the day. In my last year at the school I was introduced to a wonderful woman named Gayle Seay. She came to my final showcase when I turned 18 years old, she quickly recruited me to audition for a production she was casting at the time, Jesus Christ Superstar. I was ultimately blessed to book the tour a few months later! This amazing opportunity jump started my career and led me on a path to keep booking! This summer I had the pleasure of coming to St. Louis to work under Gayle as she is now the Artistic Director of STAGES.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
While I have been very lucky to have been booking consistently since I was 18 (I am 21 now), it has been a road full of ups and downs. As a victim of childhood sexual abuse, furthering my education and living in an environment where there were similar things happening around and to me made it quite hard to heal and grow. The only thing that had ever given me solace is dancing, I was extremely lucky to have mentors who shared my love and supported my journey. I am so grateful to get paid to dance now, it’s worth everything I have sacrificed.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a dancer, singer, and actress! I work predominantly in musicals, I have been blessed to tour North America with Jesus Christ Superstar and put up a brand new musical Off-Broadway called A Sign of the Times! I am most known for my Jazz/Theatre dancing, I would say the thing that sets me apart is my perseverance and grit. There’s been many times in my life where it’s not felt worth it to keep going, but my art, my dancing always pulls me to keep pushing. I am most proud of my work on Jesus Christ Superstar as an Onstage Swing, this means that while I had my own track to learn and perform, I was also covering most everyone in the show, including Mary and the Soul Singers.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
One of my favorite parts about being an artist is the collaborative nature of each process. Something that has always spoken to me is music production. I write lyrics and melodies in my spare time, my favorite collaboration to do with this is meeting musically inclined individuals who make tracks but don’t necessarily sing or write themselves. This is where we meet on the middle and translate our essences into something amazing! I used to write with my brother when we were younger, and I found that this taught me how to value input from others and lead with an open heart.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lenamatthews.squarespace.com
- Instagram: @_lenamatthews
