With a water bottle in one hand, dancer Patrick Simoniello reached out to greet me with the other. I met up with Simoniello at his new home away from home—the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago ( HSDC ) studios on Chicago's West Side.
One of Simoniello's friends, HSDC dancer Cheryl Mann, described him as 'one of those really cute, Abercrombie & Fitch, clean-cut guys that everyone's in love with.' And she's right on target. Whether people love him for his boyish good looks, his ability to tackle challenging repertoire, or dedication to friends, it seems this openly gay HSDC dancer is loved by many.
The Early Years
While many 6- and 7-year-olds dream of becoming a fireman or a doctor, Simoniello said he dreamed of being a dancer. His mother, who's a writer, never discouraged him, but his father wasn't too keen on the idea of a dancing son. When Simoniello's parents divorced two years later, he was free to explore his new 'career.'
His first romp in dance training happened when he entered and won a drawing to receive two months of free dance lessons. An excited 11-year-old, he quickly became disappointed when he found he'd have to wear tights, study ballet, and dance with an all-girl class.
Not to be daunted, Simoniello and his mother searched for a more suitable dance studio. He knew he found the right place when he saw Lonnie, the school bully, rehearsing a number from 'Ain't Misbehavin.' Not only was this tough guy taking classes, but he wore sweats, not tights, and the dance school was run by 'a big Italian guy'—all bonuses in Simoniello's eyes.
He still wanted nothing to do with ballet. He was a jazz dancer. He wanted to escape his boring Orange County suburban life and dance with Paula Abdul and Janet Jackson in MTV videos. That all changed in the summer between his junior and senior year in high school. He and his friends were loitering in the dance studio parking lot after class when the ballet instructor exited the building.
The instructor told Simoniello he should try out for some of the new productions that needed male dancers. The kicker was that Simoniello would have to take ballet classes. He relented and the rest is history. He continued dance school and accepted a scholarship to Joffrey Ballet's summer program at age 17.
The next year he was dancing in Joffrey II, the company's 'minor leagues,' and was promoted to the main company the following year. After eight years of dancing with Joffrey in New York, Simoniello relocated with the company to Chicago. The entire Chicago dance team was laid off for eight months while Joffrey reorganized in their new digs. Margo Sappington, who had worked as a choreographer for both Joffrey and Hubbard, encouraged him to audition for HSDC.
Hubbard vs. Joffrey
Simoniello became close friends with several of the Hubbard dancers while taking classes at the Lou Conte studios on South Wabash. But he wasn't ready to leave Joffrey. Mann said she understands when a dancer wants to finish what he started. 'That's important to kind of leave your mark before you leave somewhere else. You don't want to be just forgotten …. He was really well-respected there,' she said.
Eight years at one dance company is an eternity for many dancers, acknowledged Mann. Simoniello said that in his time at Joffrey he overcame the challenge of classical ballet technique. 'Ever since I was young, because I started with Jazz, people always told me 'no it's not classic enough,'' he said. 'I just got to the point at Joffrey where, classically, I had done everything that I wanted to do.'
There's a distinct difference between the two companies. While the dancers at HSDC are generally older than those at Joffrey, HSDC is seen as a more athletic company. Joffrey is hardcore ballet while HSDC looks for diversity in repertoire—inspired from ballet, jazz and musicals.
'Joffrey's obviously … a lot more classical. There is movement, but it's a lot different. It's very up and flashy and tight—youthful. Everything's very fresh and young. And that's very [ Gerald ] Arpino,' Simoniello said. At HSDC, 'there's this great creative energy that's going and everybody is constantly caring about their work personally. It's a major creative energy I really love,' he said.
Mann said Simoniello was always welcome at HSDC. 'We've been pushing for him for years. It was just up to him whenever he was ready to come, which is fortunate because most people constantly audition for this company and don't get in. And [ with ] Patrick, it was basically like 'whenever you're ready, come on over,'' she said.
And he did come over late last year, just in time to celebrate this year's 25th anniversary tour at Hubbard. 'Jim [ Vincent ] , the director, had seen me dance with Joffrey and he kind of expressed some interest and I expressed interest and we worked it out,' Simoniello said.
Life as a Dancer
HSDC's main company spends three to four months each year touring internationally. When I caught up with Simoniello he had just returned from a nearly three-week road show and was leaving the following week for another. When he's not on the road, he said he spends time with his friends and his boyfriend.
'Today I shoveled [ snow ] for half an hour,' he said. On a typical day in Chicago, he said he's out of the house working for eight or more hours. When he returns home he's exhausted from a physically strenuous day of rehearsals.
Chicago actor Scott Duff ( Xena! Live ) is Simoniello's roommate. Though they're both entertainers of a sort, Simoniello said actors have more fun when they're not working. 'It seems like actors can go out a lot more than dancers do. It seems like he's [ Duff ] always out. Like I'll hear the door at one o'clock and I'm just like 'how can he go out every night like that?''
Simoniello's a quiet man in his late 20s and he thinks that's typical of professional dancers. 'Dancers are more internal people … . Dancing is much more private because what you're doing. You're kind of in your own world and through that you reach people,' he said.
In 'Minus 16' ( Apr. 9-13 ) , the dancers have the opportunity to interact with the audience. Several of the company members choose audience members to dance on stage to a techno version of 'Over the Rainbow.' Simoniello said that while no verbal expressions are allowed, the experience is a powerful exercise in communication.
Being a dancer at HSDC has benefits beyond a stimulating work environment. The original four women who danced for the company 25 years ago probably never imagined that the company would grow into the $5 million organization it is today. Mann points out one other big benefit that actors rarely see, 'we have a year-round contract with paid vacations,' she said.
HSDC Goes Gay
Simoniello is one of a handful of gay dancers at the company, but he said most gay people don't know much about ballet. 'I have friends who are circuit boys and I have friends who are a lesbian couple who have two adopted babies … . In that whole spectrum, there are people who have no idea of what I do.'
For its 25th anniversary, HSDC will reach out to the GLBT community as well as other niche markets this year. On March 30, the group hosts 'After the Dance,' a rare opportunity to meet the dancers.
'I'm just happy that it's opening this up to a new audience, in a way. Because I don't think the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender community has a lot of [ an ] idea,' Simoniello said. After the 3 p.m. performance of 'International Masters' at the Oriental Theatre ( 24 W. Randolph ) , the cast moves on to Gentry on State ( 440 N. State ) for a meet-and-greet. Tickets start at $25. Visit HubbardStreetDance.org for more info.
