We have a new instructor joining us at Art in Motion Pittsburgh and we can’t wait for you to meet him! Simon Phillips of Attack Theater will be teaching Adult Beginner Ballet on Tuesdays at 6pm and Introduction to Ballet for ages 7-9 on Wednesdays at 5:45 pm. Hope you can join us for these new classes!
Meet Simon
Simon Phillips, 24, born and raised in Macon, Georgia, has always had a passion for the arts and sciences. He began formal dance training at age 10, studying tap and jazz. One year later, under his teacher’s guidance, he began training in ballet. Though Simon enjoyed this form of recreation, he was most fond of the West African training that became the bulk of his early dance study. Aside these styles, he also studied modern, lyrical, hip hop, and Latin dance throughout adolescence.
After finishing high school in 2012, Simon attended Kennesaw State University (Kennesaw, GA), where he double majored in psychology and dance. During this time, he grew tremendously in artistic experience. Simon was a member of the KSU Dance Company for all 5 years of undergraduate study. Along with this, he had the opportunity to work with several professional dance choreographers including Lauri Stallings (gloATL), George Staib (Staibdance, Atlanta), Augusto Soledad (Brazzdance, Miami), and Daniel Gwirtzman (Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company, New York City). He also performed at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. before spending a summer in Durham, North Carolina to attend the American Dance Festival at Duke University. Simon’s devotion to training, academic research, and leadership awarded him the title of Who’s Who Among American Colleges & Universities in 2017.
After graduating in 2017, Simon worked as a freelance performer and dance studio instructor in Atlanta until transitioning to Pittsburgh later the same year. He moved to become a full-time company dancer and teaching artist with Attack Theatre, co-directed by Michele de la Reza Peter Kope. Over the past year, Simon has dived into the study of Tai chi, as well as debuted choreographic work, while continuing to perform and teach around the city.
Today, Simon is still driven by his passion in the arts and sciences. His teaching method focuses on development of character through the personal investigation of intent. Simon’s approach to dance encompasses the mind and body into a single expressive system, capable of embodying and communicating abstract ideas. His goal is to inspire people to explore individual thoughts and feelings, and to consider their relationship to the artistic human voice.