Daniil Simkin (born 12 October 1987 in Novosibirsk, Russia) is a ballet dancer and entrepreneur, best known for his accomplished technical skill and charismatic stage presence. He is a principal dancer with both American Ballet Theatre and Berlin State Ballet. Simkin is based in Berlin and New York, and is the founder of Studio Simkin. Overview Simkin is an international principal dancer who performs leading roles in the classical and contemporary ballet repertoire. He is currently considered one of the leading male ballet dancers worldwide. His early social media presence and success in competitions initiated his rise to principal dancer. His recent work explores dance across a broad range of artistic influences and genres. In 2021, he developed Studio Simkin to promote dance across an ever-evolving digital platform. Simkin cites inspiration from dancers Mikhail Baryshnikov, Rudolf Nureyev, and his father, Dmitrij Simkin: "I would take Mr. Baryshnikov’s technique and coordination, Mr. Nureyev’s charisma and stage presence and my father’s work ethic, put them all in a shaker and you would have the perfect male ballet dancer." He has been called "the new Baryshnikov" by the French press. Early life and training Born in Novosibirsk, Russia, Simkin grew up in Wiesbaden, Germany. His parents, former ballet dancers Dmitrij Simkin and Olga Aleksandrova, met when performing at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. His half-brother, Anton Alexandrov (born 1977) danced with Hamburg Ballet and is now a ballet teacher. Simkin studied ballet privately with his mother as her first student. He received a conventional academic education in Wiesbaden, and completed Abitur, the German qualification to attend university, alongside his ballet studies. As a student, he performed corps and soloist roles with Ballet Wiesbaden from 1993 to 2006. Career After receiving a Senior Gold Medal from the 2006 USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, Simkin was invited to perform in the gala "Stars of the 21st Century" in Paris, and then in New York. Simkin joined Wiener Staatsballett (Vienna State Ballet) in 2006, and was promoted to first soloist in 2007. In 2008, Simkin joined American Ballet Theatre as a soloist, where he went on to perform a huge roster of signature roles. He has been called "a dancer happiest in the air" by The New York Times critic Gia Kourlas. Simkin was promoted to principal dancer at ABT in December 2012. During the following years, he performed leading roles in classical and