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Elizabeth Simoens

Biography

Highlights of Young Scholar Experience: As Elizabeth Simoens reflected on her time as a Young Scholar, the many summer programs come to mind, but what is most important to Elizabeth was how being a Young Scholar helped ease her worries about going to college. “Working with my advisor really aided me in creating a college list and start the application process.”

Profile: “Earnest, responsible, kind-hearted, independent.” These are just a few of the words that teachers and advisors use when describing Elizabeth, a young lady from Southern California who is as much at home in a science lab as she is on the ballet stage performing a pirouette. Home schooled for much of her life, Elizabeth was blessed twice. First she realized at an early age her love of ballet. Second, and just as important, she realized she was a talented dancer. Couple that with the necessary physical coordination, along with desire and yes, even the moxie to make it all work, and what you have is a great young dancer. But her other forte is studying about the environment and nature.

Inspiration: Elizabeth doesn’t have the space to name all the teachers who have influenced her for the better. Suffice it to say that her three Great Books teachers “not only exposed me to some of the greatest works of literature and philosophy of all time, but throughout the four-year program they have affected the very way I think.”

Aspiration: Elizabeth hopes to pursue her graduate studies at the Laban Centre in London in contemporary movement and choreography. Her ultimate goal is to be a well-rounded artist who is able to perform, and create contemporary ballets.

Making a Difference: As you’ll read in the next category, “Accolades”, Elizabeth has won more than her share of awards, scholarships, and has been on television and in the newspapers a great deal, “but what I am most proud of is when I have been able to move someone.” One of her goals in life is to “touch people, to give them a new perspective with something of my own.” Her proudest moment came when a stranger came up to her after a ballet performance and told Elizabeth: “I hated ballet, but I loved watching you dance.” It was amazing, Elizabeth recalled, “to hear that I was able to help someone who had closed their eyes to ballet, open them once more and to appreciate the art form.”

Accolades: The State Assembly of California presented Elizabeth with a commendation for her “dedication to the arts” during her senior year of high school. At the end of her junior year, she was selected to be in the honors class at "Regional Dance America/Pacific" which gave her the opportunity to take class in front of an audience of directors of ballet companies. In addition, the Daily Breeze, a newspaper in Torrance, CA, presented Elizabeth with an award for promoting the arts in Southern California. She’s also received commendations from the State of California for her volunteer work and was awarded the Monticello Emerging Choreographer Award from Regional Dance America/Pacific.

Interesting fact: Elizabeth was a big fan of the late Steve Irwin, the famed “crocodile hunter”. As a youngster she wanted to move to Australia and work with dangerous animals just like her hero.
 

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