Bio / CV

István Simon is an international dance artist, permanent guest performer of Dortmund Opera and a regular guest with many of the most admired opera houses and theatres of the world, such as Teatro di San Carlo-Naples and Kremlin Theatre-Moscow.

Mr. Simon studied at the Hungarian Dance Art University in Budapest. He won gold medals at the international ballet competitions of Helsinki, Brno, St Pölten, was a finalist at the Prix de Lausanne and won the Grand Prix Award of HDAA in Budapest.

Mr. Simon’s dance career began in 2007 at the Semperoper Ballett in Dresden, Germany and he soon became a principal guest artist with the Hungarian National Ballet. In the season 2013/14 he joined the Hungarian National Ballet and was invited to return to Semperoper as a principal dancer a year later.

As an international dance artist, he is regularly invited to the most prestigious festivals and gala performances of the world. He has performed at Opéra National de Paris, New York City Centre, Tokyo Saitama Theatre, St. Petersburg Alexandrinsky Theatre, Antwerp DeSingel Theatre, Paris Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris Théâtre de la Ville, Barcelona Opera Liceu, Teatro di San Carlo, Moscow Kremlin Theatre, Hungarian National Opera, Göteborg Opera House, Staatstheater Nürnberg, Finnish National Opera, Abu Dhabi Emirates Palace, and Festspielhaus St. Pölten, Chemnitz Opera, Musiktheater im Revier Gelsenkirchen.

Mr. Simon’s wide repertoire stretches from classical to contemporary. He performed the principal male roles of the most well-known classical and neoclassical ballet literature such as Siegfried in Swan Lake, Albrecht in Giselle, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Solor in La Bayadere, Franz in Coppelia, James in La Sylphide, Lensky in Onegin and Armand in The Lady of the Camellias, Oberon in Midsummer night’s dream. Mr. Simon has worked together with today’s most distinguished contemporary choreographers such as William Forsythe, Jirí Kylián, Mats Ek, Johan Inger, Alexander Ekmann, David Dawson, Jacopo Godani, Stijn Celis, Xin Peng Wang, Jiří Bubeníček and Ohad Naharin.

Mr. Simon is member of the Hungarian Dance art University’s Social Council.

Work Experience:
2018 Principal Dancer of Dortmund Ballett
2014-2018 Principal dancer, Semperoper Ballett Dresden
2013-2015 Principal dancer, Hungarian National Ballet
2013-2014 Principal guest artist, Semperoper Ballet Dresden
2007-2013 Soloist, Semperoper Ballett Dresden

Education:

2019 MA Arts and Cultural Management
2018 MA Classical Callet Pedagogue (Hungarian Dance Art University)
2008 BA Ballet Artist (Hungarian Dance Art University)

Competitions/Awards:

Gold Medal’s on:
• 5th International Ballet Competition Helsinki (2005)
• 1st International Ballet Competition Brno (2003)
• 3rd International Ballet Competition St. Pölten (2002)
Grand Prix Prize on the 7th International Competition of HDAA (2005)
Finalist on Prix de Lausanne Concours International pour Jeunes Danseures (2004)
Best Graduation Student of the Year, Hungarian Dance Association (2007)

Repertoire
1. Classical repertoire, leading roles
 Siegfried - Swan Lake (after M. Petipa)
 Solor - La Bayadère (A. S. Watkin after M. Petipa)
 Albrecht - Giselle (L. Lavrovsky)
 James – La Sylphide (M. Gielgud after A. Bournonville)
 Desiré - Sleeping Beauty (A. S. Watkin after M. Petipa)
 Romeo - Romeo and Juliet (László Seregi)
 Romeo – Romeo and Juliet (Lavrovsky)
 Franz – Coppélia (Balanchine)
 Lensky – Onegin (J. Cranko)
Armand - The Lady of the Camelias (D. Deane)
 Lucentio – The Taming of the Shrew (J. Cranko)
 Prince - The Nutcracker (V. Vajnonen)
 Prince – The Nutcracker (A. S. Watkin after M. Petipa)
 Camille – The Merry Widow (R. Hynd)
 Emeralds (Balanchine)
 Symphony in C (Balanchine)
 Theme and Variations (Balanchine)
 Apollo (Balanchine)

2. Contemporary full lenghts, leading roles
 Tristan – Tristan+Isolde (David Dawson)
 Romeo – Romeo and Juliet (Stijn Celis)
 Albrecht – Giselle (David Dawson)
Oberon - Midsummernights Dream (Brigit Breiner)

3. Contemporary one act ballets

 William Forsythe: In the Middle Somewhat Elevated, Impressing the Czar, New Sleep, Enemy In The Figure, The Vertiginous Thrill Of Exactitude , The Second Detail, Artifact, Berio pas de deux
 Jiří Kylián: Petite Mort, Bella Figura, Symphony In D
 Mats Ek: She Was Black
 Wayne Eagling: Duett
 Alexander Ekman: Cow
 Alexei Ratmansky: Tanz Suit
 Ohad Naharin: -16
 Johan Inger: Empty House
 Harald Lander: Etudes
 Stijn Celis: Noces
 Robert North: Tempo
 Jiří Bubeníček: The Inner Voice, Faun, Le Souffle de l’Esprit, Unerreichbare Orte, Canon in D Major, Ma Vlast
 David Dawson: On The Nature of Daylight, The Grey Area, A Million Kisses To My Skin, Reverence, The World According To Us
 Jacopo Godani: Spazio Tempo

4. Character roles
 Benno - Swan Lake (A. S. Watkin after M. Petipa)
 Blue Bird - Sleeping Beauty (A. S. Watkin after M. Petipa)
 Golden Idol - La Bayadère (A. S. Watkin after M. Petipa)

5. Classical Pas De Deux’s
 Grand Pas Classique (V. Gsovsky)
 Le Corsaire (M. Petipa)
 Don Quijote (M. Petipa)
 El Talisman (A. S. Watkin after M Petipa)
 Satanella (M. Petipa)
 Flower Festival in Genzano (Bournonville)
 Romeo and Juliet (A. S. Watkin)
 Werther (Y. Boquin)

Film Productions
2012 The Nutcracker: Prince (A. S. Watkin) ARTE Germany

Other
from 2013 Dance Tales for Adults (chamber evenings about classical ballet)
from 2012 Education program for autistic children
from 2011 Researches in the field of dance-science fusion
from 2011 Independent choreography projects
from 2011 Ballet pedagogy MSc studies
2010-2013 Videowork and interview making for Semperoper Ballett
2010-2013 Audience development at Semperoper Ballett