Austin dance instructor shares recovery after cardiac arrest

Prior to that incident, Matt says he had no health issues. Now he is back in Austin trying to recover.

AUSTIN, Texas - Matt Kennedy and his Hip-Hop team "Royal Thieves" were ready to hit the big stage for the World of Dance Competition in late October in Boston. What was supposed to be an exciting performance quickly changed into a scary experience for Matt.

"All I know is I started to look dead in the eyes. I schlumped to the ground, fell to my side and started foaming to the ground," says Matt Kennedy, dancer.

That was the moment Matt's heart stopped beating, and he went into cardiac arrest.

"My girlfriend {Jasmine Huang}, checked my pulse to see how I was doing, see if I was good, she could not find a pulse, so I was gone for about 10 minutes," says Kennedy.

In those 10 minutes, Matt was unconscious. His friends called an ambulance and quickly performed CPR.

"And they finally brought a defibrillator in. Two shocks, and I was brought back to life," says Kennedy.

Prior to that incident, Matt says he had no health issues. Now he is back in Austin trying to recover. Doctors say for him to dance again like he used to, he needs to take things slow.

"I already tested those limits. I've been to a dance class and my defibrillator went off and that's just because you don't know what your heart is going to do," says Kennedy.

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Matt says the recovery process has been hard on him because he's very active. From teaching dance classes to performing with big artists such as Louis the Child, Kendrick Lamar, and even working with Disney+ on their premiere for "Sneakerella".

Matt is surprised how his recovery is inspiring his dance community.

"I thought about that comparison with Damar Hamlin who recently suffered a cardiac arrest, it's beautiful to see how people love you from afar," says Kennedy.

Friday, Jan. 6, Dance Austin Studio is hosting a "Dance for Matt" fundraiser to help Matt pay his medical bills.

"We want to make sure that he gets what he needs to recover and not have to think about medical bills," says Christina Larson, Co-owner of Dance Austin Studio.

There will be 3 classes,