Shana Simmons Dance

Mission:

Shana Simmons Dance seeks advancement of quality dance performance, and larger
engagement with audiences and the community, through financially accessible interactive and
immersive productions. Our work relies heavily on partnerships and outreach to explore topics
relevant to our community at large with a heavy focus on the integration of movement in
education.

Shana Simmons Dance is a performance troupe based in Pittsburgh, PA that produces
collaborative dance works with interdisciplinary arts, service-based nonprofits, and the
audience. SSD seeks to explore topics most relevant to our current time and surrounding
culture. Each project includes extensive research and outreach interactions with people who
have lived experience of our theme so that we may give them voice with our movement. Through immersive and interactive experiences, we challenge audiences to be absorbed in the content rather than to be passive observers.

Artistic Director Shana Simmons is a graduate of Point Park University’s Conservatory of Dance
and founded SSD in 2009 following her graduation with a masters from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance in London, England. Since her relocation back to Pittsburgh, PA in 2012, the company has performed numerous works in the city, and her work has been seen in England, Belgium, Chicago, New York City, and at Slippery Rock University. Shana’s experience working for the National Dance Institute in NYC, under the leadership of Jacques d’Amboise, has instilled a deep respect for the need and impact of integrating movement into education, especially for at risk children.