Not only are we rehearsing Nutcracker though. At the same time as we are trying to redefine the traditional (or non-traditional) boundaries of this old-world (or new-world) classic we’re rehearsing Mr. Ratmasky’s ‘The Bright Stream’. A comical ballet touching the subject of the life at the Kolhozy in rural Soviet russia (wikipedia article on Kolhoz for whoever who has no idea what that means). Anyway, in that production I’m learning the ‘Accordionist’ and the ‘Ballet Dancer’ (for insiders: literally ouch concerning the latter one.)

So in two weeks we start performing Nutcracker. Then in two weeks of rehearsals follow, then we perform the Bright Stream at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington DC.
After DC we have one week of rehearsals and then go to London for a week of performing repertory works, where I’ll be debuting in the Lover in Antony Tudor’s ‘Jardin aux Lilas’ (or simply Lilac Garden) and…drum roll… the lead in Balanchine’s Theme & Variations.

So as you see there is a lot of work and rehearsals ahead of me. Nevertheless I’m excited and eager to get and keep going .

Oh and by the way I updated all of the aforementioned performances in my schedule, so feel to take a look!

Here are some (this time IMO rather uninspiring photographs) from my performance in Indianapolis this September. Enjoy.

All is well. After a lot of traveling I’m about at half of my ‘summer break’ from ABT. My shows in Vail, Tokyo and Taipei went very well and 10 out of about 21 flights are done. Currently I’m with my family in Germany to rest and recharge before I’m off to a brief visit back to New York and then Indianapolis, Berlin, Paris and Moscow.

Anyway here is an interview brought to you by Dance Pulp. I kinda sound a bit too egocentric by using I and I and I and I way too much. Besides that I repeat myself about 4 times saying the same thing in the end of the interview, but oh well… enjoy anyway…

I’ll be back with photos from my travels very soon. Stay tuned. Oh… and cheers!

And here are the promised photos of my ‘Dance Open’ gala in St. Petersburg, Russia on April 2nd. All photos by me…please don’t get too excited, they just give you a little glimpse of the trip…obviously I was too lazy to actually post-correct most of the pictures. I hope you enjoy them anyway…

Besides that we’re getting ready with ABT to tour to Chicago, where I’ll be performing the first sailor in Jerome Robbin’s Fancy Free for the first time! I’m a little tense and excited at the same time ! Anyway I’ll try to keep you posted on Twitter and here as much as possible!

Good night and see you back soon,
-Daniil

• Signed, used, old, stinky, hole-y (that means with holes in them haha), personal ballet slippers which I’ve worn onstage or in the studio are being sold at ABT’s website. They are 75$ a pair and proceeds benefit ABT and The Dancers’ Emergency Fund
• I bought a Panasonic Lumix GF1 camera, so you can expect photos from my trips abroad here on the blog…
• I updated the schedule and the press section of my website…Resume section to follow…
• My next stops are the Dance Open Festival in St. Petersburg on April 2nd, then my Fancy Free debut and a couple of Swan Lakes in Chicago and then the closing gala at the X Mariinsky Ballet Festival again in St. Petersburg
• Oh and all the wonderful drawings you see are from Michael Arthur who drew me some months ago in the studio…

Hope you enjoy you the blog design With the very best wishes,

Daniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiil

I know I’ve been absent more than a year. A lot of changes, a lot of things happening, a lot of work. I am sorry the only possibility I had was to keep you up-to-date over my Twitter account.

But just two things. I my INTENSIO project happening on December 11, 12 and 13 in the Pallace Theatre in Athens. Join me if you want/have the possibility!

The list of appearing dancers include:

• Daniil SIMKIN – American Ballet Theatre
• Alina COJOCARU - The Royal Ballet
• Lucia LACARRA – Bayerisches Staatsballett (Munich)
• Cyril PIERRE – Bayerisches Staatsballett (Munich)
• Daria KLIMENTOVÁ – English National Ballet
• David MAKHATELI – The Royal Ballet
• Irina KOLESNIKOVA – St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre
• Semyon CHUDIN – Moscow Stanislavsky Ballet Theatre
• Marie LINDQVIST – The Royal Swedish Ballet
• Dragos MIHALCEA – The Royal Swedish Ballet

Furthermore, a new website is in the making by GNV& Partners. It will feature a re-do of my current wordpress theme, but the general concept of Blog/website will stay the same. Stay tuned.

Last but not least, you can become a ‘fan’ or better said a friend now on my Facebook Page. I have reached 5000 friends on my actual profile and therefore have to relocate my friends to my page. If you are not one yet, please join!

got a new video (technically it’s 2) up on Youtube:

Well, I’ve been pretty busy the last days preparing everything for my travelling and especially for New York Just so you have it, here is my schedule for the next weeks before joining American Ballet Theatre’s rehearsal period on September 29:
September 12-14: Athens, 3 shows at the MEGARO MOUSIKIS stage
September 15-18: London, rehearsals
September 19-22: Paris, Théatre des Champs-Elysées, 4 galas
September 26: Guadalajara, Mexico, Auditorio Telmex, gala

Anyway, I have to leave now for rehearsals. Just so you know, there will be some more videos up on Youtube soon .
Hope all is well with all of you!

I am sorry again that I was gone from blogging for some time. Last weeks have been nice. I was working on La Spectre with my mother and sorting out a lot in my life besides ballet. One thing is sure now. I am leaving Vienna as my residence and the ballet company as of May.
…
Here is a list of my performances in the months of May and June:

• May 04th – Stars of the 21st Century in Toronto, Canada
• May 14th – Hommage a Rudolf Nureyev Gala in Malaga, Spain
• May 20th – Full Don Quixote in Kasan, Russia
• May 23rd & 24th – Gala in honor of Rudolf Nureyev in Kasan, Russia
• June 1st – Full Don Quixote in St. Peterburg, Russia at the Mikhailovsky Theatre (Maly Opera)
• June 4th & 5th – World Ballet Stars in Seoul, Korea
• June 20th & 21st – World Ballet Star Gala in Taipei, Taiwan (premiere of ‘La Spectre de la Rose’)

I am preparing another post about ‘La Spectre de la Rose’ in the moment. Stay tuned!

Well I had a nice New Year’s eve and am currently working on my second principal performance of the prince in our Nutcracker here in Vienna. I will have the premiere very, very soon on January 9th. Wish me luck ! Unfortunately there will be no video this time since they are very strict here with performances being recorded.

Beside this I know that this blog is being read by a lot of people from the United States. Just to let you know and remind you, I will be dancing in New York on February 11th in the Lincoln Center on the gala “Stars of the 21st Century”! Get a ticket if you want to see me perform live .

Hmmm, some friends told me that I have a social network account on Orkut, which I do not! One more time: I have no Orkut account! Anybody seeing an Orkut account, that is not me, but a person pretending to be me . One more time in portugese for my brazilian friends (I apologize in advance for the google translation): Não tenho conta do Orkut! Or in spanish: No tengo cuenta de Orkut!

Well something more…you know, I am kinda busy these days and therefore am unable to answer mails, comments and such from people who admire me or like my work and would like to know me better. Therefore I was looking to a way in which I could answer some questions which would interest not only one person, but a group in the same time. So I thought of that: write me one or a couple of interesting questions, send them to me, no matter which way. It may be through a direct comment to this post, and email or myspace message or whatever. Out of these question I will try to pick the most interesting ones and answer them in a post here on my blog (hopefully there will be more than one and I will have the possibility to make a series out of it ), so my answer will not only go to this particular person, but you as a reader will get to know me better!

Take care!