New Haven Ballet Welcomes Back Broadway Veteran Joseph Simeone

NEW HAVEN, CT — There’s a new kind of movement happening inside the studios at New Haven Ballet—and it has a Broadway beat. And a hometown heart.

This season, the school welcomed back Joseph J. Simeone, a Madison, CT native, to its permanent faculty. A Broadway performer, choreographer, composer, and visual artist, Simeone brings a dynamic, ongoing career to the classroom—one that spans the world’s biggest stages and continues to break new ground.

His Broadway performance credits include A Bronx Tale, West Side Story, A Chorus Line, Phantom of the Opera, and Spiderman, and he continues to work actively on new productions both onstage and behind the scenes. He is currently developing multiple Broadway-bound shows, including a musical adaptation of The Last Unicorn in collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda.

At New Haven Ballet, Simeone leads two of the school’s most sought-after programs: Musicality for Dancers and the Broadway Repertory Class, both designed to give students professional-level insight into the techniques and artistry of the Broadway stage.

Photo: Broadway Repertory Students perform on the Shubert Theatre stage in Parson’s Etude. © 2024 Thomas Giroir Photography.

Simeone is more than a performer—he’s a multidimensional artist and educator. He made history as the first student at Juilliard to major in Dance while formally studying Music Composition, training under avant-garde pioneer Milton Babbitt and with his friend, Broadway legend Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin). His career spans choreography, composition, direction, and design, with past collaborations ranging from Jim Henson Productions to visual artist Kehinde Wiley, whose studio Simeone painted for. His own artwork has been collected by the Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

His original musical Love Affair—which ran this summer at Legacy Theatre in Branford—became the most-attended production in the theater’s history, a local triumph that drew attention for its lush score and immersive storytelling.

“People think stage presence is something you’re born with,” Simeone said. “It’s not. It’s timing. It’s listening. It’s courage. And it can absolutely be taught.”

That belief is central to both of his New Haven Ballet classes.

In Musicality for Dancers, students are trained to think and feel like composers. The class helps dancers understand rhythm, phrasing, silence, and structure—not just as counts, but as emotional and musical choices. Dancers learn the fundamentals of music and to move with greater nuance, presence, and authenticity.

The Broadway Repertory Class offers students a rare opportunity to work with authentic choreography from landmark productions. Students have trained in original choreography from A Chorus Line (with guidance from Baayork Lee’s team), and this season are learning Jerome Robbins’ choreography from West Side Story and Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, staged and cleaned by Robbins’ own associates. Guest faculty includes Matthew Couvillon, Associate Choreographer to Tony winner Baayork Lee, and students also study the work of David Parsons, introduced by Simeone, who performed with Parsons at American Ballet Theatre.

“Coming back to teach in the state where I first trained as a dancer feels meaningful,” Simeone said. “I know what it means to be a young artist in Connecticut, and I want them to know their path can lead anywhere.”

Artistic Director Lisa Kim Sanborn said Simeone’s arrival marks a milestone in the school’s expansion.

“Joseph brings a level of artistic depth, theatrical experience, and educational passion that is rare in any one teacher,” she said. “Our students are learning from someone who not only danced these roles, but creates and shapes them for the future of Broadway.”

Photo: Broadway Repertory Students perform at the Shubert Theatre New Haven in A Chorus Line. © 2024 Thomas Giroir Photography.

Simeone’s classes are open to serious students seeking professional training as well as dancers ready to discover the expressive power of movement, music, and storytelling. His Broadway Repertory Class performs at the Shubert Theatre on Saturday, May 24, at 1:00 and 5:00 p.m. Click Here for Tickets.

New Haven Ballet is the premier school for classical ballet training in Greater New Haven, offering the highest caliber of professional classical ballet training and dance education in southern Connecticut for nearly forty years. As one of New Haven’s major arts organizations, New Haven Ballet plays a vital role in the community through outreach and school programs, a student performance ensemble, and collaborations with artists within and beyond. New Haven Ballet students have been accepted into prestigious summer ballet intensive programs, including the School of American Ballet, Boston Ballet, Chautauqua Institute, The Rock School, Pennsylvania Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and many others.

New Haven Ballet is located at 70 Audubon Street in New Haven.

For more information or to register, contact Ruth Barker at (203) 782-9038 or email administrator@newhavenballet.org.

Visit www.newhavenballet.org for full class offerings.

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