The Dance Education alum has been artistic director at HSA since March 2024.
Simmons introduces HSA dancers at a Spring 2025 NYU Alumni event at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
As artistic director of Harlem School of the Arts (HSA), Leyland Simmons (MA ’17, Dance Education) is combining his passions for the performing arts and making a difference for the young people in his local community.
Simmons was born and raised in Alaska, where he grew up “training in every little dance studio in Anchorage.” When he was around 11, the Dance Theater of Harlem came to his home state and invited him to a summer dance intensive in New York City, which ignited his dream and his drive to someday live and work here.
“That experience set the tone for me, and I left home at 15 to train at schools like Interlochen Arts Academy, School of American Ballet, and the Ailey School,” says Simmons. “I danced with Ailey 2, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and Ballet X, and when I was asked to run master classes, workshops, and dance outreach programs for these companies, I found my interest in teaching.”
Simmons and his HSA students prepare for their yearly American Ballet Theatre exams.
Coming from a family of educators, Simmons knew he’d go back to school eventually. He received his undergraduate degree in English from NYU and was thinking of becoming a core content teacher when he discovered Steinhardt’s Dance Education program.
“Something in me said ‘I have this wealth of knowledge in dance, so what if there’s a program out there that would allow me to do that?’” says Simmons. “I did my research, and I knew the Steinhardt program was the one for me because of the amazing faculty and the relationship with the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) that aligned with my dance background.”
Simmons’ concentration was in K-12 studies because he’s “always felt such a great connection with young people and [loves] helping them in life before they reach young adulthood.” Offering arts training for students ages 4 to 17, HSA has proven to be the perfect fit for Simmons: A dance instructor with them since 2010, Simmons became the artistic director in 2024.
HSA students and members of the Radio City Rockettes after HSA opened for the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall in 2023.
In this role, he oversees all the performing arts departments at HSA—dance, music, art, theater and design, and musical theater—and consults with the new president on strategic direction. In the dance department, he supervises the programming and productions for the year, organizes and fosters external partnerships, and hires and assesses teachers and visiting artists.
“I have really leveraged the support and connections from Steinhardt Dance Education in my roles at HSA, especially when hiring,” says Simmons. “At one time, more than half of the HSA teachers were Steinhardt alums, which is really wonderful because we all speak a similar language, and I know the quality and depth of the education they received.”
Simmons also intends to continue the mission of HSA’s founder, opera singer Dorothy Maynor, who wanted to give the young people of the neighborhood high-level arts experiences and education.
HSA students head to the Youth America Grand Prix Competition for the first time.
“The neighborhood has changed over the years, but I still tap into her original vision and try to do whatever we can to give the kids in our area high-level arts experiences they might not otherwise receive,” says Simmons, who has also taught in the past at both Steinhardt and NYU Tisch. “Our school has been a community arts program for many years, but our profile is growing. We have ongoing relationships with ABT and the Rockettes, so students have access to yearly ballet exams and opening for shows in Radio City Music Hall. For the first time ever, we have nine students participating in the Youth America Grand Prix, one of the biggest ballet competitions in the world.”
In addition to his work at HSA, Simmons serves on the School of American Ballet’s Alumni Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion and was one of the first African Americans invited to the ABT National Training Curriculum Board of Examiners.
Says Simmons: “I’m going to make history for this school.”
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