Mirella Simoncini

Director
STUDIO SIMONCINI

Artistic Director
Summerschool Den Haag

STUDIO SIMONCINI founded in 2002
Studio Simoncini is a forward thinking and vibrant school, with that romantic touch you expect for classical ballet.
Mirella has been leading the school for more than twenty years.

ROYAL BALLETSCHOOL of ANTWERP
Mirella received her education at the Royal Ballet School of Antwerp, Codarts Rotterdam and the Young Talent Class Nederlands Dans Theater under the supervision of Ivan Kramar.

In addition Mirella has been working as a journalist for magazines and national Radio and TV at the dance and music department.
From 2002, she decides to fully focus on teaching ballet and further development of her school. She adds Junior Ballet to the programme and in the same year she initiates Summerschool Den Haag which became the 1st international summer school in her city. She collaborates with dancers and choreographers from Nederlands Dans Theater, The Dutch National Ballet, The Royal Ballet and teachers from well-known vocational schools.

WORKING RELATIONSHIP with the UK
Between 2012 and 2020 she is a regular guest teacher for Britain’s national dance company Rambert when Mark Baldwin is artistic director. The company moves into a new building in 2013 and Mirella is invited to teach company class for the festive event of the open house. She returns to the company many times and in the years that follow, in addition Mark Baldwin and both rehearsal directors Angela Towler and Mikaela Polley visit Studio Simoncini as guest teacherers at Summerschool Den Haag. Other well-known companies in the UK where Mirella has been teaching as a guest teacher include: Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures (Artistic Director Sir Matthew Bourne) and Studio Wayne McGregor (Artistic Director Wayne McGregor). In the Netherlands she has been a guest teacher at the Dutch Don’t Dance Division (artistic director Rinus Sprong & Thom Stuart), Sally Dansgezelschap Maastricht (artistic director Ronald Wintjens & Stefan Ernst) and the HBO department of Codarts.

BALLET DURING COVID-19 CRISIS
As a result of the corona pandemic in 2020 unprecedented measures were taken. With all schools, buildings and social traffic largely shut down, Mirella was one of the first teachers in the Netherlands to convert the complete schedule at her school into a high quality modified live online dance training
In the summer of 2020, Mirella produced the first world wide online edition of Summerschool Den Haag with Virtual Guest Teachers from the Dutch National Ballet, NDT, The Royal Ballet School and Introdans.

Projects & Assignments

  • Radio documentaries for National Broadcast Companies including artists such as Jaap Flier (choreographer), George Sluizer (film director) and John Engels (jazz drummer).
  • Journalist and researcher National Radio and TV
  • Inspiration Project 2005 – 2015
  • Guest appearance Junior Ballet at the Government anniversary Queen Beatrix
  • Juror de Kunstbende
  • Interviewer and discussion groups Holland Dance Festival
  • Interviewer and discussion groups Nederlands Dans Theater
  • Interviewer and discussion groups Central Library The Hague 2021 – present.
  • European Heritage Days 2023 collaboration with Hotel Des Indes, Anna Pavlova Project
Mirella Simoncini zwevend door de lucht in haar Haagse studio op de Toussaintkade.
Mirella Simoncini floats through her studio in The Hague on the Toussaintkade. Her balletstudio was initially a photostudio designed in 1920 by the famous Dutch photographer C.J.L. Vermeulen.
Dance lovers from all over the world have been coming coming together at this special place for 50 years.
Mirella has been teaching (pre)professional students, dancers from classical and modern companies, but also beginners and children on their way to their first audition.
Mirella Simoncini | Grand Jete
Toussaintkade (left) about a hundred years ago. During the war, two little boys have been hiding in the small storage room above the ballet studio
NDT Ivan Kramar met Mirella Simoncini
Nederlands Dans Theater Ivan Kramar and Mirella Simoncini
Sulamith Messerer and Mirella Simoncini.
Mirella’s teachers include Piotr Nardelli, Job Sanders, Benjamin Harkarvy and Sulamith Messerer

“Ballet should never look predictable. When you dance each move you make is a promise. Even when standing in preparation you are making a promise that there is a story to be told”

- Mirella Simoncini