Daniil Simkin
We’ve all had to mutter those sad sad words and swallow the bitter truth. "Sorry, I can’t, I have rehearsal.” There are even T-shirts with that depressing phrase written across them. It’s just common knowledge that dancers have hardly any free time. So when Daniil Simkin announced that he will be joining Staatsballett Berlin, while maintaining his principal status with the American Ballet Theatre, the dance world was a bit surprised.
Most people can’t even walk and text at the same time, so the fact that Simkin will be juggling two companies at once is astounding. But not only is he going to have to handle being a part of two companies, he’s also walking into a somewhat controversial situation at Staatsballett. The company members in Germany have been petitioning their current directors because they have not been happy with their leadership for some time now. However, Simkin says that he will be a part of a new movement within the company that will be taking a new approach to the ballet classics. He also says that he is looking forward to performing more contemporary work and being closer to his mom and dad. The native German will be returning to his family and friends, while still staying close to his New York cohorts. It sounds like this lucky dude is really getting the best of both worlds. Now if only time machines were ready… then he could be a part of every major company in the world.