Hanley Simpson is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, where she began her dance training under the direction of Joseph and Maria Giacobbe at the Giacobbe Academy of Dance. She also trained under the direction of Kenneth and Kimberly Beck at the Myra Meir School of Ballet. She trained over the summers with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Staibdance, New Orleans Ballet Theatre, American Ballet Theatre, and New Orleans Ballet Association, honing both her contemporary and classical technique and artistry. Hanley continued her training at Florida Southern College and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography and minor in Business Administration in May 2019.

 

After graduating from Florida Southern College, Hanley moved to Chicago to pursue a professional dance career. In August 2019, she had the opportunity to return to Florida Southern College to rehearse and travel with the Dance Program to Becket, MA to perform Awaken choreographed by Melissa Rector at Jacob’s Pillow Inside Out. In December 2019 she joined Alluvion Dance Chicago and worked with them for two seasons. She is currently in her second season as a Company Artist with Identity Performing Arts. When given the opportunity, Hanley travels back to New Orleans to train and perform with Jefferson Ballet Theatre, where she most recently performed as the Arabian Princess in the 2021 production of The Nutcracker. Besides being a professional dancer, Hanley is a substitute teacher in the Chicago private school system, Pure Barre instructor and dance teacher in the Chicagoland area.