94. Jeanne Simpson, Actor/Dancer/Choreographer/Director/Teacher
Release Date: 04/22/2024
Episode 153. Rana Dershowitz, A Career Driven by Passion from Sports Law and Public Policy
The 92 Report
Rana Dershowitz went straight to Harvard Law School after graduating in 1992, partly due to the economy and her love for learning. She describes her experience at Harvard Law School, including her role as a law school "old timer" in Cambridge. After law school, Rana moved back to New York and started working on Wall Street, initially hating the big law environment but appreciating the people she worked with. Entertainment Law at Madison Square Garden and onto Sports Law Rana discusses her career counselor's advice to explore sports law, which she had overlooked despite her involvement in...
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152. Eugene Kim, Pediatric Surgeon and Wine Connoisseur
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Eugene Kim shares his post-graduation journey staying in Boston to finish research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute which was part of his thesis and also laid down the groundwork for his own cancer research which he has conducted over the years. He credits his understanding of science to his time at Harvard. He also worked at the now-closed Love the Border Cafe. Eugene reflects on the valuable lessons learned from working at the cafe and describes the unique subculture of the cafe's staff, including the Brazilian kitchen staff and the diverse backgrounds of the waiters and...
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151. Jonathan Hughes, Consulting at the Intersection of Strategy & Conflict Management
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Jonathan Hughes talks about his career in consulting, starting with an economic consulting firm, Putnam Hayes and Bartlett, in Los Angeles. He mentions his connection back to Harvard through CMI (Conflict Management Inc.) founded by Roger Fisher and Bruce Patton, and his subsequent roles at Vantage Partners and BDO. The Career Path As a Consultant Jonathan describes his role at CMI, focusing on complex negotiations and business partnerships, and his role in helping to start the boutique firm, Vantage Partners where he spent around 25 years as a partner. He later moved over to BDO,...
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150. Steve Petersen, From Improv to Philosophy of AI
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Steve recounts his senior year at Harvard, and how he was torn between pursuing acting and philosophy. He graduated with a dual degree in philosophy and math but also found time to act in theater and participated in 20 shows. A Love of Theater and a Move to London Steve explains why the lack of a theater major at Harvard allowed him to explore acting more than a university with a theater major. He touches on his parents' concerns about his career prospects if he pursued acting, and his decision to apply to both acting and philosophy graduate schools. Steve discusses his...
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149. P.J. Karafiol, Chicago Public High School Principal
The 92 Report
Show Notes: P.J. shares the backstory of his name and how he became a high school principal. He studied simultaneously in law school for a JD and in the Philosophy department for a PhD at the University of Chicago. After realizing he didn't enjoy law or philosophy, he taught math at Phillips Andover and later in Chicago. He helped start a new public school, Walter Payton College Prep, and has been a principal at Lake View High School for the past 10 years. Teaching Chaos Theory and Math P.J. describes his experience teaching at Phillips Andover, including teaching chaos theory. He found the...
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148. Scott Cole, 50+ Jobs Worked Since Harvard
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Scott Cole describes his initial struggles at Harvard, dropping out after freshman year, and returning multiple times before finally graduating in 2012. He shares his first dropout experience, including a brief stint in California and a return to Harvard for sophomore year. He details his various jobs and adventures, including working at a car wash, landscaping, and a research assistant position at Harvard Forest. Working on a Ranch in Wyoming Scott thinks back to his days working at a ranch in Wyoming, where he learned cowboy skills and participated in cattle drives. He...
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147. Anca Miruna Achim, Teaching about the Past to Speculate about the Future in Mexico City
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Miruna studied art history at Harvard, focusing on Renaissance art. After taking a year off to travel and visit Romania, she decided to study Latin American Studies and Spanish and Portuguese at Yale. She found the graduate experience at Yale challenging, especially the sense of isolation that can come with graduate work when it is not socially or politically involved. Miruna began traveling to Mexico for her research on colonial Latin America, focusing on the intersection of history of science, literature, and ritual. Teaching History of Science Miruna moved to Mexico City, where...
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146. Franklin Habit, A Long and Winding Yarn
The 92 Report
Show Notes:Franklin Habit talks about working in higher education administration (and elsehwere) before eventually finding happiness in his current profession within the fiber arts. He discusses some of the blind alleys he explored, including museum work, opera stage directing, web design, and online marketing. Building a Career in KnittingFranklin shares how he learned to knit from a veteran knitter and classmate, Eliza Lake. He describes how his blog about knitting took off, leading to a book deal and a career in teaching and writing. Franklin recounts the early days of his blog,...
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145. Diego Fonstad, Educational Toys and Ed Tech Tinkerer
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Diego kicks off the conversation with a quick review of his career path, which included working at a business school in Barcelona, consulting in biotech and healthcare, and working as product manager and product running product groups. He then went back to business school. He talks about his job at the business school in Barcelona and what prompted him to take it. He explains that the opportunity arose through a professor he knew, and the timing of the 1992 Olympics made it hard to resist. He shares his insights on Catalonia's cultural differences and the importance of knowing...
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144. Kellie Doucette, Unexpected Journey: Pink Sand Beaches to New Jersey Politics
The 92 Report
Show Notes: Kellie Doucette describes her journey as zigs and zags, with three distinct chunks defined by her location: Northern Virginia, Bermuda, and New Jersey. She worked for a small health policy consulting firm called the Lewin Group in Northern Virginia, DC, where she met her future husband, John Doucette. A 13-Year Stint in Bermuda Kellie, an actuary, began her career in the Bermuda market after taking the actuarial exams. She and her husband moved to Bermuda in 1996, and they enjoyed the adventure of visiting family on the East Coast and raising their children there. The reinsurance...
info_outlineJeanne Simpson moved to New York after graduating. She started doing day jobs in New York City to make ends meet while attending free dance classes, which allowed her to continue her training without having to pay for grad school. She eventually joined the American Isadora Dance Company, a modern company.
Beginning a Career in the Performing Arts
Jeanne began her acting career at HB Studios, where she was given a scholarship and studied under Austin Pendleton, a talented teacher who taught the advanced Acting Program at HB. She worked with other amazing actors and learned to choreograph scenes with them. This experience led her to work on original college shows and she choreographed for various shows. In addition to acting, she also taught at a dance studio in Park Slope, Brooklyn, before being offered her first professional choreography job where she choreographed a birthday cake song for a series on Nickelodeon and was subsequently hired for the series. This was her first professional choreography job which led to several others on films.
A Volunteer in Performing Arts Programs
Jeanne started volunteering at the 52nd Street Project in New York, which takes kids from Hell's Kitchen and lets them experience the transformative power of theater. They take them out of town to enjoy nature and rehearse plays with the kids, then perform the plays in Hell's Kitchen. This experience continues to inspire her belief that the performing arts can change lives, even if it doesn't lead to acting or dance. Jeanne has continued to work with the 52nd Street Project. Her experiences in the performing arts have had a profound impact on her life and she continues to inspire others to pursue their passions in the performing arts.
Working in Television and Film
She worked on a show called Wishbone, which was shooting in Texas. After leaving Wishbone, she returned to New York where she ended up doing more choreography jobs, and acting jobs, and getting married. She and her husband moved from New York to Los Angeles and Jeanne jobs teaching dance and theater, and worked for Princeton Review and IV West. She auditioned for Tim Robbins Actors Gang, a theater company, she worked there and eventually choreographed for the Grand Guignol company. Then she started auditioning for television and found an agent with Avalon Artists Group. Jeanne earned parts on several TV shows, including Madman, Parks and Rec, and How to Get Away with Murder. The couple moved to Valley Village, where they still live today, and they had a second child, Vivian.
Arts Programs and Community Theater
She started working with a community arts theater, an all-inclusive arts program that offers various classes and activities for children. She started a camp called Make Them Laugh classic comedy camp with her husband and another comedy writer, introducing classic comedy to a new generation of kids. She later taught at Berklee School, where she teaches improv and has directed at Harvard. She also teaches a dance class at Evolution Dance Studios called Big Shots. She is currently directing a production of Anything Gos with four or five and six-year-olds, and she has also choreographed a rock opera movie musical called The Promise. While she still auditions, Jeanne also tutors kids on their essays to get into schools, which has become an accidental side business. Their house is like Grand Central Station, filled with people of all ages, which they love. The journey has been a rollercoaster ride, but she is grateful for the opportunities it brings.
Pursuing Acting and Choreography
Jeanne discusses her experiences as an in-school ambassador for the National Young Arts Foundation and how she started dancing at age five and how her mother helped and inspired her. She talks about the different modes of acting, acting, dancing, teaching, and choreography. Acting and choreography are the two that bring the most happiness, as they allow them to be present and happy. Directing drives her insane, but as an actor and choreographer, she can let go and be present. Choreography is also fun because it allows her to share her vision with others, and learn from others, creating a collaborative experience.
A Choreographer’s Process
As a choreographer, Jeanne starts with the story, which is essential for their dances to convey something and then, of course, the music. She also considers the style of dance, the capabilities of her dancers, and their potential. She then develops steps that grow out of this story, making it easier to remember. Jeanne shares the example of her Saturday morning class routine. Jeanne also discusses her process and how choreographers keep their thoughts straight in their heads. She uses choreographers notation, which is mainly used as a step notation, but she also writes down the story when she does a piece.
The Importance of Relationships in the Performing Arts
Jeanne shares her experiences with relationships in the performing arts industry, highlighting the importance of connections and connections in her life. She shares stories of various projects and connections, such as working on a Broadway musical project called Three, where she was hired to choreograph one of the shows and supervise all others. This experience led to her becoming part of a larger community of artists, which eventually led to other jobs or volunteer opportunities. She also mentions her involvement in a community theater that taught children at a public elementary school, where she taught and was recommended by a vocal coach for her kids.
Influential Harvard Professors and Courses
Jeanne credits James Davis, her sociology professor, for her interest in studying people and trends. Davis was supportive and kind, attending every play and dance concert she performed. She also mentions Arthur Holmberg and Jian Guo, who was a mentor, where she learned about professional theater companies. She also mentions Jane Nichols, an adjunct professor and acting teacher who Jeanne is still in touch with.
Timestamps:
10:07 Career, marriage, and TV show experiences
17:07 Career, family, and art
20:13 Career transitions and passions with a former Broadway performer
26:04 Art, dance, and theater with a passionate artist
31:16 Choreography process and creativity
34:05 Choreography and dance notation
40:06 Career connections and networking
45:18 The challenges of pursuing a career in the performing arts
47:19 Wait Wait Don't Tell Me and its hosts, Adam Felber and Paula Poundstone
53:28 Arts career and education with a guest speaker
Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeanneGottaDance/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gotta_dancenj/