ABT's Daniil Simkin to Join Staatsballett Berlin

Since joining American Ballet Theatre as a soloist in 2008, Russian-born Daniil Simkin has become a fixture in the New York City dance scene. In addition to performing leading roles with ABT in everything from Giselle to Whipped Cream, Simkin has also spearheaded his own side projects like 2015’s INTENSIO and, most recently, his Falls the Shadow at the Guggenheim Museum’s rotunda.

But Simkin has just announced that he’ll be calling Germany home in fall of 2018, when he will officially join Staatsballett Berlin for the company’s 2018–19 season. Simkin’s new role coincides with the start of the company’s new directors, Sasha Waltz and Johannes Öhman, an announcement which caused a ton of backlash when it was decided upon last fall.

With Simkin’s international fame, we’re not totally surprised by the move, but we are pleased to see that he won’t entirely be leaving NYC. In a press release from ABT, both Simkin and ABT’s artistic director Kevin McKenzie stated that Simkin will continue to perform with ABT (schedule permitting).

On his future with Staatsballett, Simkin said, “Having grown up in Germany, I am looking forward to returning with everything that ABT has taught me and to joining Staatsballett Berlin under the directorship of Sasha Waltz and Johannes Öhman…But as of now, I am just very excited for the Fall season to begin and cannot wait for another great year at ABT!”

Given Simkin’s use of technology in his dance works, he’s bound to keep us updated on his next adventure via social media. But in the meantime, we’ll use this as an excuse to catch as many shows as possible in the upcoming season with ABT.