RISE & SHINE

Helen Simoneau is an internationally renowned, North Carolina-based choreographer, as well as the founder and artistic director of her company, Helen Simoneau Danse. Highly sought-after by companies, schools, panels and festivals, Simoneau has been described by Dance Magazine as “a choreographer-on-the-rise,” with a style that is both “athletic and smooth.” Simoneau has presented her choreography around the world and has been commissioned by the likes of The Juilliard School and the American Dance Festival. Helen Simoneau Danse was originally scheduled for the Wortham Center Presents 2020/2021 Season, but, due to the pandemic, these performances will be rescheduled for future dates. We recently spoke with Simoneau about her experience as a performing artist in North Carolina and also the effect this past year has had on her work.

Helen Simoneau

Photography by Olly Yung with direction by Eli Gray Helen Simoneau Danse.

Please share a little about your history and relationship with dance. When did you begin? When did you fall in love with it, and when did you know you wanted to turn this passion into your life’s work?

Coming from a small village in Eastern Québec, dance training wasn’t easily accessible to me. I was always active and spent much of my childhood skiing and even briefly competed in moguls. I began dance training as a teenager, around 16 or so, and loved it, but I never considered it as a career since I didn’t know it was a possible profession. When I was 17, I attended a summer intensive in Nova Scotia, where I learned that contemporary dance was something one could pursue professionally. That was it; I was sold.

Where are you from originally, and how did you land in North Carolina?

I’m from a village called Luceville, outside of Rimouski in Eastern Québec. I landed in N.C. thanks to UNC School of the Arts, where I finished my last year of high school and stayed for college.

What successes and challenges have you had making a career as an artist in N.C.?

There are many of both! The way Helen Simoneau Danse was founded would not have been possible elsewhere. There is an ease to connecting to folks in N.C. that makes it possible to talk to the right person about your project — whether it is to fundraise or to gain access to a performance or rehearsal space. People are friendly and generally open to chat. The challenges, for me, are that there isn’t a lot of work for a freelancer. Many artists find security by teaching in academia, which I often do as a guest artist, but my desire to freelance has meant being creative with how I make a living and being willing to travel for work. It means being a nomad while always coming back.

What are some of the ways you had to adapt as a performing artist during the pandemic this past year?

Like many artists, we moved online. HSD developed a virtual module to share my last work, DARLING, which premiered in March 2020. The module includes postviewing discussions with the collaborators,

How did the pandemic influence your creativity? What are some positives that have come out of this past year?

The main positive has been time for reflection. In that, I’ve accepted that it is a really hard time for the arts and have let go of the pressure to find a silver lining. Accepting the current situation for what it is took some time and released a lot of anxiety for me. It’s important to grieve. Like so many, artists are struggling, and that is very real.

What are you working on now, and what’s coming up for you?

Since touring has been on pause, I’ve begun work on my next piece and have been working virtually with dancers. I’ve also been doing a lot more speaking on panels and guest teaching through our virtual module. Connecting with artists all over the country has been one of the most satisfying experiences this year.

Helen Simoneau Danse

Photo by Hope Youngblood

In collaboration with Helen Simoneau Danse, the Wortham Center will be providing a community residency, educational activities and public performances as part of Momentum: Dance Touring Initiative for Southern Companies, a program of South Arts. These events are funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.