Simon Mayer

Simon Mayer, performer/dancer, choreographer and musician, born in 1984 in Austria, studied at the Vienna State Opera Ballet School and the Performing Arts, Research and Training Studios (P.A.R.T.S) in Brussels and was member of the Vienna State Opera Ballet.

In 2009, he founded the band Rising Halfmoon as a singer, guitarist and songwriter. In 2014 Simon Mayer released his music album Monkeymind, followed in 2018 by audio performances of SunBengSitting, Sons of Sissy, Oh Magic. As a dancer/choreographer and musician he was involved in productions of Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker/ROSAS (The Song), Wim Vandekeybus (Frisking) and Zita Swoon. His choreographic repertoire includes solos, duets and group pieces that have been performed internationally (o feather of lead; dancing with the soundhobbyist/Zita Swoon; Monkeymind; SunBengSitting; Sons of Sissy; Oh Magic, a.o.).

Simon was Artist in Residence at Théâtre de L’L in Brussels and together with his brothers and the association Spiel, he organizes the international artfestival SPIEL. He received the outstanding artist award from the Austrian Chancellery in 2017 and the Annerkennungspreis des Lande Oberösterreich in 2018. In Vienna he founded the organisation Kopf Hoch. He teaches contemporary dance, community dance, traditional dance and voice techniques (ImPulsTanz Vienna, Steirisher Herbst, a.o.) and is a guest teacher at the Music and Arts University of Vienna.