Meet Shadae Simone of Simone Pin Productions in Seattle

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shadae Simone.

Shadae, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve been training in multiple styles of dance and competing in dance competitions all over the U.S since age 12. When I became of age, I completed The professional dance semester at Broadway Dance Center and the scholarship program in Los Angeles, California. Shortly after, I was signed with Bloc Talent Agency and began my career as a commercial dancer. Although I love the hustle and grit the LA dance community offered, my intuition was pulling me towards Seattle. Finally when I relocated to the PNW, I discovered the world of Burlesque. I love the freedom, empowerment and body diversity the world of burlesque in Seattle offered. After spending a year performing at a local theater I began to become dissatisfied with how Black and Brown performers were represented in shows owned and created by white Flox. So my dear friend and now business partner Annya Pintak and I got together to pilot a dance/burlesque production: Black Silk. It was wildly successful, we sold out both shows and worked incredibly hard to create a safe space where our performers were valued as artists and collaborators instead of products. After that Simone Pin Productions, a Women of Color owned production company was born with me as the Founding Creative Director and Annya as the Founding Director of Operations. Together we work to curate dance/burlesque shows that tell the narratives of women of color.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
When it comes to starting a business, I don’t think any roads are “smooth” and if they are, it doesn’t last forever. That’s where compassion, patience and perspective come into play. I’ve hit many bumps and surprise curves along the way. The biggest one was starting a production company on an artist’s income. I was performing in shows and teaching dance classes to make ends meet while maintaining my responsibilities as the Creative Director of the company. This meant I took the lead in creating the show theme, choreography, and costumes on a low budget. At first, I found it very difficult to jump from performer brain to teacher brain to director brain. I was exuding a lot of energy into every aspect of my life. It was meaningful but exhausting, and most of all worth it.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Simone Pin Productions – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Simone Pin Productions brings you curated shows that create an unparalleled viewer experience from beginning to end. We are a women of color owned production company dedicated to captivating audiences with our thought-provoking performances, diverse cast, sex appeal and editorial aesthetics through technical burlesque.

What I’m most proud of in the company is the team atmosphere. We are lively together, complete tasks and respect each other as whole beings. We lift each other up and help one another grow. Our creative process is diligently designed to keep us on track and leave room for new creativity and fun! This is also what sets us apart from other companies. We are telling our stories as women of color through our lens. When you come to our shows, you are taking a step into our beautifully colorful world of empowered performers.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Covid-19 has changed the entertainment industry as a whole. Simone Pin has moved all of our shows online. This has been a surprisingly great new challenge for us as we’ve been able to make our shows accessible to a broader audience and be creative in an entirely new way. We are currently competing in the Pitch Impact competition for an award of $10,000, we also plan to release a brand new virtual show and photo series that will be available in 2021.

Contact Info:

• Website: simonepinofficial.com
• Email: simonepinofficial@gmail.com
• Instagram: @simonepinofficial_ @shay_Simone_

Image Credit:
Stephen klise

Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.