Photo credit: Jo Grabowski
Hometown: Luceville, Québec (population 1,300)
Current city: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Age: 33
Attended an arts high school? I attended North Carolina School of the Arts (NCSA) for grade 12
College and degree: North Carolina School of the Arts, BFA in Dance
Graduate school and degree: Hollins University, MFA in Dance. I was 29 when I graduated.
Website: www.helensimoneau.com
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/helensimoneaudanse
How you pay the bills: Teaching dance at universities --- sometimes full-time, sometimes part-time, and sometimes as a guest for a week or two. Teaching Pilates. Restaging my work or creating new choreography for dance departments across the country. Working for my company as a performer, choreographer, and administrator.
All of the dance hats you wear: choreographer, dancer, teacher, grant writer, and administrator
Non-dance work you do: Pilates instructor
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Describe the first 10 years post-college:
Immediately after graduation, I was fortunate to book my very first professional gig, which was as a dancer at The Yard’s Bessie Schonberg Residency. It was an amazing experience.
Because I wasn’t an American citizen, I couldn’t stay in the states and had to return to Canada. I moved to Montréal and was lucky to quickly land an apprenticeship with Belgian choreographer Isabelle VanGrimde. It was unpaid and sporatic work, but I was so very excited to be part of something. To make money I worked the floor at a gym, which paid very little, but it gave me a free gym membership, which I saw as a major perk. Staying in shape for my dancing was always on my mind. One of great things about Montréal was the dancer’s union (http://www.quebecdanse.org/). Once a member, they would reimburse me $7 for every dance class I took. I’m not sure if they still have this. At the time, you could take class for as little as $7 and never more than $15. Moving to a new city without the network of my classmates or alumni from my college made it harder for me to immerse myself in the dance scene. Auditions were few and far between and I didn’t have friends around who were making work or who wanted to dance in my work. These first two years out of school were very hard and I became disillusioned. I found myself moving further and further away from dance and gravitating towards yoga and Pilates as career options. A local yoga studio was offering me the sense of community that I was missing and I decided to join their teacher-training program, which was a year long. At the same time, I began a Pilates certification program and apprenticed (for pay) at a local studio. As much as I enjoyed Isabelle VanGrimde’s rehearsals, working for free took its toll and I had to quit when a good Pilates job presented itself that conflicted with her rehearsal schedule. I became a student again through my Pilates and yoga training all while working full-time at the Pilates studio. Soon, I was so distant from dance that I stopped seeing performances, stopped taking class, and stopped going to auditions. Although I had training in my body and a creative mind, I was completely unprepared for the dance job market. Had I known what I know now, I would have knocked on more doors, attended workshops with companies/choreographers and approached choreographers directly rather then waiting for them to notice me.
Another factor in my unhappiness was that I was in a long distance relationship with my now husband. I eventually decided to move back to North Carolina, we were married and I began to establish myself here. At first, I mostly taught Pilates and yoga. I soon found myself back at NCSA. This time teaching Pilates to the dancers. It only took me a little while to realize how much I missed dance and so I started taking class again and making work. Eventually, I was invited to teach some dance courses and was asked to choreograph on the students. After doing this for a while, I knew that it wasn’t enough for me and that I wanted to pursue choreography in a more concentrated way. That’s when I decided to apply for graduate school and attended the Hollins University/ADF program, which changed my world.
While in grad school, I created a solo that was performed at the 13th Internationales Solo-Tanz-Theatre Festival in Germany. This is a competition for solos in which prizes are given to choreographers and dancers. I won 1st place for my choreography and 3rd place for my dancing. This was a huge turning point. From this experience came several performance opportunities like a 10-day tour of Germany, a performance in Athens, Greece, and a 4-performance tour of Brazil. It also gave me the necessary funds to have my first evening-length concert at Joyce SoHo. This same solo later won The A.W.A.R.D. Show! NYC in 2010, which provided me once again with funding to create new work. I was finally in a place where I could make work and knew that I could pay the dancers. This is when I established my company, Helen Simoneau Danse.
Photo credit: Hope Davis
Mentors/someone who believed in you:
I have been extremely fortunate to have several strong women come into my life and mentor me in many different ways. If I had to narrow it down to two to mention here I would have to say Donna Faye Burchfield and Margaret Scales. Donna Faye Burchfield was my teacher and thesis mentor in grad school. She has taught me so much, but the most important thing she has fostered in me is the notion that I am capable of creating my own path and do not need to wait to be chosen in order to be fulfilled as an artist. She continues to be a huge source of guidance and support to me. Margaret Scales, initially a Pilates client, is now the president of my board. She was the first person I approached for advice on fundraising to establish my dance company. She is a driving force behind our success and continues to teach me to know my worth and to ask for what I need. Both Donna Faye Burchfield and Margaret Scales have taught me that it is okay to be a woman with ambition.
Luck:
The apprenticeship in Montréal was completely a stroke of luck. The choreographer, Isabelle VanGrimde, came to observe a dance class that I had been regularly taking. A few days later, she offered me the apprenticeship. I later found out that she came to the class especially to see me at the suggestion of her partner who was playing the drums. Apparently, I resembled a dancer she had worked with in the past and he thought she would like me.
Another stroke of luck was a chance encounter with Dena Davida who is the co-director of Montréal based venue Tangente (http://www.tangente.qc.ca/ ). This venue is so incredibly sought after that they no longer are able to view unsolicited submissions by artists. I had been trying to get their attention for a few years when one day at the CORD Conference at Hollins University, one of my friends turned to me and said “Helen, you have to meet this person. She’s from Canada.” It was none other than THE Dena Davida. This led to an invitation to perform at Tangente, which led to other Montréal-based presenters bringing my company up to Montréal to perform. I have showed my work in Montréal 4 times now and it is all due to this one encounter. The most exciting outcome of this is that my company has been invited by Tangente to perform in a 3-city/ 5-week tour of Montréal, Tokyo, and Busan, South Korea this coming spring.
How you have paid the bills over the years:
I’ve been able to support myself mostly through teaching Pilates until about 3 years ago. Gradually, my teaching work has shifted to more dance and less Pilates. I still teach Pilates at times and I really enjoy it, but it is no longer my main source of income. I am happy and fortunate to say that at this point in my life I earn a living solely through dance whether it is teaching, choreographing, or performing.
On teaching….
I love teaching. In the process of relaying information to my students I am able to more fully consider it for myself. My experiences as a teacher have made me a better dancer and choreographer.
For many, teaching at a festival like ADF or Jacob’s Pillow is a major career goal. How did you get your foot in the door at ADF?
During the summer, the Hollins University MFA program takes place at ADF. I spent two summers there as a graduate students and had the privilege of having my thesis work performed there. I taught a technique class the summer after grad school at the invitation of my mentor Donna Faye Burchfield who was the Dean. It was a huge opportunity and I absolutely loved it.
During grad school, I also managed to have my first full-evening concert at Joyce SoHo in NYC. ADF director Jodee Nimerichter attended at my invitation. She has been incredibly supportive ever since. Just this past summer, she gave me the incredible opportunity to create a new work on 19 ADF students for the Footprints series. It was a dream of an experience.
Setbacks:
Setbacks are a part of it, and I certainly have not been immune to them. Not getting a certain gig, receiving a negative review, or not being able to get a presenter to even return your emails are all huge setbacks. Rejection is part of the field we are in. I am working towards growing a thicker skin so I can enjoy what I do and avoid taking rejection personally.
% of time each week you spend on your company/choreographing:
This fall, I probably spend 80% of my time working for my company. Right now it's mostly all administrative as we are getting ready for the next season. We mostly rehearse in short intensive periods rather than a regular schedule. When we are in creation, I’ll be choreographing for 4-5 hours a day for 2 to 3 weeks at a time. Then, 100% of my time is dedicated to the company. It's hard to say though because there isn’t really a typical day or typical week. Some terms, I’ll teach full-time which will drastically reduce my time spent on the company. Other terms, I’ll be performing a lot and not teaching at all. So, pretty much it changes all of the time and I like it that way. In a year, I am most happy when my teaching, performing, and creating are at an equal balance.
What you look for in a dancer:
I like to work with dancers that are interested and curious about my creative process and are willing to spend time exploring.
Books, websites, blogs, and shows that serve as inspiration:
A Director Prepares: Seven essays on Art and Theater by Anne Bogart
Art on my Mind: Visual Politics by bell hooks (but really, anything by bell hooks)
Advice to aspiring choreographers:
It is good to have an open mind and take in criticism, but you also have to know what you want your work to be. If you don’t have a spine, you will alter your vision in order to please, but the truth is you can’t please everyone and you will just exhaust yourself. Know what feedback to digest and leave the rest behind.
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