in numerous countries on six continents. He has produced International Ballet Gala Events in Greece 2009 and Japan 2012. He has also danced frequently with theaters including the Bolshoi Theater, Moscow; the Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg; Opera National de Paris; London Coliseum and Sadler's Wells, London; National Center for Performing Arts, Beijing; The Music Center, Los Angeles; Lyric Theater and Auditorium Theater, Chicago; Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington DC; Bunka Kaikan, Tokyo; Queensland Performing Arts Center, Brisbane; Royal Opera House, Stockholm; Royal Danish Theater, Copenhagen; Gran Teatro de Liceu, Barcelona; Terme Di Caracalla, Rome; Teatro Arcimboldo, Milan; Megaro Mousikis Theater, Athens; Royal Opera House, Oman; National Opera, Seoul; National Theater, Taipei; and Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires. Recurring international guest performances have included the World Ballet Festival in Tokyo, Japan; Stars of the 21st Century Ballet Galas in Toronto, Paris, New York and Moscow; International Ballet Star Gala in Taipei; Youth America Grand Prix Gala, New York; International Ballet Star Gala, Buenos Aires; and Roberto Bolle and Friends, with performances throughout Italy. Social media: a new platform for dance "Nowadays we have the possibility of connecting with the audience directly," Simkin has told The New York Times. Simkin's efforts to make ballet accessible, and to connect a large and broad audience to the art form, began with an early and active social media presence. Today, he maintains a digital presence on his Instagram page @daniil, as well as a page dedicated to his personal photography @daniilsees In 2015, The New York Times covered his process of photographing dancers backstage, just before and after the performance: "I mean, that is our goal, to make it look simple, natural and sort of like it doesn’t cost us anything," he said. "We are having a good time, and we are floating. But in order to make it look like that, we sacrifice our lives." "The internet has become the place for individuals to create their own brands, and being a good dancer isn't always enough," Simkin says. "But I still consider onstage performance the ultimate test. I've noticed that the possibilities in male technique are advancing at a quicker pace, in an exponential way. It will be interesting to see where it will go." Independent productions With independent productions, Simkin explores new outlets for dance, including virtual or augmented realities, immersive dance performances, and new dance films. These projects have offered an