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| Daniil Simkin | |
|---|---|
| Name | Daniil Simkin |
| Birth date | 1987 |
| Birth place | Saint Petersburg, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Occupation | Ballet dancer, choreographer |
| Years active | 2005–present |
Daniil Simkin is a ballet dancer and choreographer known for a wide-ranging repertoire and international career. Trained in Saint Petersburg and Berlin, he has worked with leading ballet companies, choreographers, and cultural institutions across Europe and North America. His career encompasses classical and contemporary works, filmed dance projects, and philanthropic collaborations.
Born in Saint Petersburg during the Soviet Union era, he began training at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet and later continued studies at institutions associated with the Hamburg Ballet and the John Cranko School in Stuttgart. His teachers and mentors have included figures connected to the traditions of Marius Petipa, Agrippina Vaganova, and modern influencers like John Neumeier and Marcia Haydée. Early competitions and festivals such as the Prix de Lausanne, the Varna International Ballet Competition, and the International Ballet Competition in Jacksonville provided exposure leading to company engagements with organizations tied to the German National Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre, and other European houses.
He joined ensembles where he rose through ranks at companies including the American Ballet Theatre and the Staatsballett Berlin (formerly Berlin State Ballet), and has been a guest artist with the Bolshoi Ballet, the Mariinsky Ballet, the Royal Ballet, and Paris Opera Ballet. His roles and appearances have taken him to venues such as the Lincoln Center, Bolshoi Theatre, Teatro alla Scala, and the Wiener Staatsoper. Collaborations with directors and artistic leaders like Kevin McKenzie, Christian Spuck, Stanislas Leontiev, and Igor Zelensky reflect a career spanning North American and European repertoires and co-productions with festivals including the Salzburg Festival and the Spoleto Festival USA.
His repertory spans classics by Marius Petipa and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky such as principal parts in productions of Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and The Sleeping Beauty, as well as neoclassical and contemporary works by choreographers George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Jirí Kylián, Christopher Wheeldon, John Neumeier, Alexei Ratmansky, Sylvie Guillem, and Ohad Naharin. He has been noted for performances in Robbins' Dances at a Gathering, Forsythe's In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, Wheeldon's Polyphonia and Ratmansky's reconstructions, with critical attention from publications tied to institutions like the New York Times, The Guardian, and Der Spiegel during international tours and galas such as the Nureyev Memorial Gala and company seasons at the Royal Opera House and Mariinsky Theatre.
Beyond performing, he has developed choreography and multimedia projects that intersect with producers and platforms including YouTube, contemporary dance festivals such as Jacob's Pillow, and arts organizations like the Paul Taylor Dance Company and the Vail Dance Festival. Projects have featured collaborations with composers and designers associated with Max Richter, John Adams (composer), fashion houses and photographers from Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, and film directors connected to festival circuits at Sundance Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival screenings of dance films. He has initiated dance films and digital series produced with studios in Berlin, New York City, and Los Angeles and engaged in cross-disciplinary productions with orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
His achievements have been recognized by competitions and award bodies such as the Prix Benois de la Danse, the Benois de la Danse nominations, the Europa Nostra-style cultural prizes, and national honors granted by ministries of culture in countries where he has performed. Press and institutional accolades have come from organizations tied to the International Dance Council (CID UNESCO), dance magazines like Dance Magazine and ballet.co.uk, and festival juries at events including the Varna International Ballet Competition and the Prix de Lausanne alumni networks. He has been named in lists and retrospectives by arts institutions including the Kennedy Center and networks of the European Cultural Foundation.
Offstage, he has participated in charitable initiatives working with organizations such as UNICEF, arts education programs in partnership with institutions like the Royal Academy of Dance and the School of American Ballet, and cultural diplomacy events organized by ministries and consulates in capitals including Berlin, Moscow, and Washington, D.C.. His public statements and benefit performances have intersected with causes supported by foundations related to humanitarian aid, arts accessibility programs, and international cultural exchange platforms including the United Nations cultural fora and city arts councils.
Category:Ballet dancers Category:Choreographers Category:Russian expatriates in Germany