Shani Moran-Simmonds

English dancer Shani Moran-Simmonds joined The Royal Ballet’s Aud Jebsen Young Dancers programme at the beginning of the 2025/26 season. 

Born in Birmingham, she began dancing aged four at a local beginners dance class. She joined The Royal Ballet School’s Junior Associate programme when she was 8 years old, before joining White Lodge in 2017, and moving to the The Royal Ballet Upper School in 2022. Shani graduated in 2025 after 8 years of full-time training with The Royal Ballet School. 

During her time at the school, Shani was awarded The Ashton Award for showing style, personality and technique in Ashton ballets, The Valerie Adams Award for Exceptional Musicality and Artistry, The Artistic Prize for Progress and Endeavour, and won the Lynn Seymour Award for Expressive Dance. 

Performances while at the school include roles in Carlos Acosta’s version of Don Quixote, Kenneth MacMillan’s The Four Seasons, Marius Petipa’s Paquita, Sir Frederick Ashton’s La Valse, Goyo Montero’s BOLD, and Joshua Junker’s Remembrance. Shani also represented the School for the Prix de Lausanne Partner School Choreographic Project, performing Our Common Fate by Jessica Lang. She also performed the White Couple pas de deux from Ashton’s Les Patineurs in St Peter’s Square for Europe day. Performances with The Royal Ballet whilst at The School include The Nutcracker, Manon, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet.