Originally from Illinois, Mathew Janczewski (he/him) is a Minneapolis-based dancer, choreographer, director, and creative leader who has been a driving force in Minnesota’s contemporary dance community since 1989. Shortly after earning his BFA in Dance and a minor in Mass Communication from the University of Minnesota, he founded ARENA DANCES in 1995—a non-profit contemporary dance company that has become a cornerstone of innovation, education, and community engagement in the Twin Cities.
Over his 30 years as Founder, Artistic Director, and Executive Director of ARENA DANCES, Janczewski has produced more than 50 original works performed nationally and internationally to critical acclaim. His choreography—rooted in musicality, physical architecture, and emotional precision—reflects his deep curiosity about human connection and the body’s capacity to communicate across boundaries.
After three decades of visionary leadership, Janczewski now leads ARENA DANCES into a bold new era. This fall marks the official DEBUT of the company’s transformation into a contemporary repertory dance company—a vital and transformative shift designed to fill what has long been missing from Minnesota’s dance landscape: a stable, artist-centered company built for longevity. This model prioritizes long-term relationships between choreographers and a core ensemble of versatile dancers, enabling deeper exploration, trust, and artistic risk.
Through this vision, Janczewski and ARENA DANCES aim to raise the value of dance in Minnesota by providing dancers with reliable, living-wage employment while cultivating continuity and innovation for both artists and audiences. In a field often defined by project-based scarcity, this repertory model offers sustainability, care, and purpose—becoming a catalyst for artistic innovation and a stabilizing force within a shifting dance ecosystem. As major institutions such as Zenon Dance Company, James Sewell Ballet, Minnesota Dance Theatre, and the Cowles Center have closed, Janczewski is positioning ARENA DANCES to help rebuild and reinvigorate the state’s cultural landscape.
Under his leadership, ARENA has also expanded to include numerous community programs:
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CANDY BOX Dance Festival – a nine-season platform presenting emerging, mid-career, and established Twin Cities artists.
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FLOORWORK – a monthly roundtable supporting resource-sharing and professional growth.
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Moving Practice – a cohort-based class series for professional dancers prioritizing rigor and diversity of aesthetics.
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DanceON – a K–12 outreach program and pedagogy initiative diversifying the next generation of dance educators.
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Studio Stories – a podcast archiving Minnesota’s dance history, now entering its 20th season with over 190 episodes and 20,000+ downloads.
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The Arena – a movement center founded in 2021 offering affordable classes, workshops, and community gatherings to support the moving arts.
As a performer, Janczewski has danced with Shapiro & Smith Dance (2007–2014) and JAZZDANCE! by Danny Buraczeski (1992–1997), and has performed works by Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane, Bebe Miller, Jacek Luminski, Beth Corning, Sean Curran, Doug Varone, and others. His choreographic commissions include works for Minnesota Dance Theatre, Zenon Dance Company, Cleveland Repertory Co., and aTrek Dance Collective.
His artistry and leadership have been recognized with numerous honors, including the McKnight Fellowship for Choreographers (2005), Sage Award for Outstanding Performance (2005), and selection as one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” (2008). He has served as faculty at the University of Minnesota, St. Olaf College, Carleton College, and the Zenon Dance School, and has choreographed for the Bates Dance Festival and universities nationwide.
Recent works include only the perverse fantasy can still save us, created in residency with the Palm Springs Dance Project and commissioned and presented by the Walker Art Center in Spring 2025, and Erased Steps, an ensemble work for 10 exploring industry, displacement, and memory through movement and sound performed at the alternative site of Union Depot in St. Paul, MN.
Beyond choreography, Janczewski’s leadership continues to shape Minnesota’s dance ecosystem. He currently facilitates the development of a new statewide dance service organization through the Minnesota Dance Task Force, advocating for equitable systems, professional stability, and greater visibility for dance artists across the region.
Through his artistry and advocacy, Mathew Janczewski exemplifies how vision, persistence, and care can redefine what is possible for contemporary dance—ensuring it thrives as both an art form and a community force for generations to come.