MATTHEW RENKO

Matthew Renko was born in Tampa, Florida, and raised in Sumter, South Carolina, where his father was stationed at Shaw Air Force Base.  After a year of gymnastics, at age 8 Matthew began his ballet training at Miss Libby’s School of Dance, then later at Columbia Conservatory of Dance under the tutelage of Serge Lavoie.  At 15, he continued his training at North Carolina School of the Arts on scholarship, taught by Warren Conover, Kee-Juan Han, and Melissa Hayden.  After attending the School of American Ballet summer course in 2003 and 2004, he was asked to stay for the winter term on scholarship.  Since then, he has danced principle roles in Western Symphony and Bourree Fantasque the school’s annual workshops and has choreographed to Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” (2005) and Conni Ellisor’s “Blackberry Winter” (2006) for the Student Choreography Workshop.