About
°1984, Austria
Simon Mayer is a choreographer, musician, performer, teacher and curator born in 1984 in Austria. He studied at the Vienna State Opera Ballet School and P.A.R.T.S in Brussels and was a member of the Vienna State Opera Ballet. As a musician and singer, Simon founded and played in several bands (Rising Halfmoon, C.O.P.), released audio performances of his stage productions and creates his own music.
As a dancer, choreographer and musician he was involved in productions of Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker/Rosas (The Song), Wim Vandekeybus and Zita Swoon. His choreographic repertoire includes solos, duets, group pieces as well as socially engaged and immersive events: Dancing with the Sound Hobbyist/Zita Swoon; SunBengSitting; Sons of Sissy; Oh Magic, Volxfest, Being Moved. His pieces have been performed internationally: Festival Actoral (FR), Kunstenfestivaldesarts (BE), ImPulsTanz (AT), steirischer herbst (AT), Belluard Bollwerk (CH), BIT Teatergarasjen (NO), Tweetakt Festival (NL), Homo Novus Festival (LV), The Place (UK), The Dance Center (CA), Power Station of ART (CN) among others.
Together with his brothers, Simon curates the festival Spiel in Upper Austria and has been co-curating festivals like Tanzplan Ost and The Ecstatic Body Festival (Tanzquartier Vienna). Simon is facilitating workshops in the fields of art (Contemporary, Traditional and Community dance) and practices of Tantra, Mindfulness, Trance & Creation (together with Corine Sombrun). He is guest teacher at international festivals and universities and organizes seminars (HfMDK Frankfurt, ImPulsTanz Festival, MUK Vienna, RITCS Brussels).
He received the Outstanding Artist Award from the Austrian Chancellery in 2017 and the Recognition Award of the Government of Upper Austria in 2018.
Dig deeper
INTERVIEW:
Simon Mayer in conversation with Eva Decaesstecker about his artistic trajectory and current artistic preoccupations (01.04.2020, EN)
REVIEWS:
“Corona-Party mit sich allein: Simon Mayer im Brut”, Helmut Ploebst on Being Moved in Der Standard (23.10.2020, DE)
“De toekomst van de Brusselse dans”, Charlotte De Somviele and Filip Tielens on Oh Magic in De Standaard (19.05.2017, NL)
“Sons of Sissy upends folk traditions, in a show that’s both funny and unsettling”, Janet Smith in the Georgia Straight (06.04.2019, EN)
“SunBengSitting, Simon Mayer”, François Maurisse and Wilson Le Personnic on SunBengSitting in ma culture (05.07.2017, FR)