Jaime Simons

Jamie Simmons began her dance training at the age of 3. She became a member of Ballet Midwest in Topeka, Kansas at the age of 13 in the corps de ballet level, and over the years progressed to soloist and principal member. During her years with Ballet Midwest she performed annually in the Nutcracker, some favorite roles being Clara, Lead Spanish, Dew Drop, and the Sugar Plum Fairy. Jamie has also performed in over 10 different full-length ballets ranging from the classical and romantic ballets, and some of Balachine’s modern masterpieces. She has held leading roles in La Fille Mal Gardee, Pas de Quatre, Cinderella, Swan Lake, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Jamie studied dance on scholarship at the University of Kansas and performed with the University Dance Company getting to work with guest artists, and the talented and diverse permanent faculty. She has also had the pleasure of taking master classes with Cassandra Phifer of Alivin Ailey, Jerald and Christina Hilding of the The Joffery Ballet, Kathy Thibodeaux of Ballet Magnificat, Keith Clifton of The Clifton Dance Project, and Rhoda Miller of Pace University.

She apprenticed as Assistant Artistic Director of Ballet Midwest, graduated from Washburn University with her Education Degree concentrating in Health, Sport and Exercise Science, has been an invited teacher/choreographer in Kansas at various venues. She has been on faculty at the Kansas Dance Academy for the last 17 years. Jamie is known for her vibrant teaching style that is full of technique, artistry, and focus on proper use of the body to obtain the desired goals, and for her choreography that is imaginative, beautiful and especially her effective use of the corps de ballet.