Anne Benna Sims

Les Grands Ballets Canadiens (1972) Geneva Opera Ballet (1973–1975) Frankfurt Opera Ballet: Principal (1975–1977) Eglevsky Ballet Company: Principal (1977–1978) American Ballet Theatre (1978) == Early life ==

Sim's father, an architect, and mother, an opera buff, exposed the Sims children to all forms of art. At age ten Sims started ballet classes at the Long Island Institute of Music in Queens on Parsons Blvd., under the tutelage of Helene Vinson. (Another notable student was Ted Agress, who went on to perform in Broadway musical theater.) Those studies were supplemented with summer training at the ABT school under Michael Maule, Patricia Wilde, and Madame Swoboda; and at the New Dance Group Studio with Peter Saul and Margaret Craske. Her sister, Lowery Stokes Sims, is museum curator. Sims graduated from Bishop Reilly High School in 1970. After graduating high school, Sims was accepted into the trainee program at Harkness House under David Howard and Maria Vegh. She had also trained with Helen Greenford and Elizabeth Carrol in ballet; Luigi in jazz and Teresita La Tana in Spanish dance. == Professional career ==

Sims' professional career began with Les Grands Ballet Canadiens, where she danced in the corps de ballet. Sims danced with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens in 1972. Eventually, Sims was told that there was not much of a future for black dancers in ballet and that Harkness was not looking for her type. "I haven’t been doing the 'white' acts of Swan Lake or Giselle, but there is a bit of slush in the 'Snow' section of Peter Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Suite" says Sims. She had earlier been featured in a revival of Antony Tudor's Undertow with Peter Fonseea. == Footnotes ==

Paul Taylor's Airs Antony Tudor's Undertow == External links ==