Kirstie Simson

Kirstie Simson (UK) has been a continuous explosion in the contemporary dance scene, bringing audiences into contact with the vitality of pure creation in moment after moment of virtuoso improvisation. Called “a force of nature” by the New York Times, she is an award-winning dancer and teacher who has “immeasurably enriched and expanded the boundaries of New Dance” according to Time Out Magazine, London. Simson’s eternal subject is freedom, as she dares to go beyond the boundaries of form and structure to create movement out of the rhythm of life itself.

Kirstie is renowned today as an excellent teacher and captivating performer who is a leading light in the field of dance improvisation. For the past thirty-five years she has collaborated with many dancers and musicians who share a common interest in researching improvisation. She is invited to teach and perform all over the world; working with major dance companies ; teaching in universities, and conservatories; in performance festivals and private studios.

In January 2008 Kirstie joined the faculty of the Dance Department at the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign where she is an Associate Professor.