CHICAGO — This post is part of a series of conversations with other trans/genderqueer dancers to give you a broader idea of where we come from, what we’re up to, and how we navigate the dance community. That said, meet Ashaand Simone! Ashaand grew up training with Pacific Northwest Ballet and Spectrum Dance Theater in Seattle. After graduating high school,…

A few months ago, something cool happened in ballet class. TEACHER: “After the pirouette, ladies: tombé, pas de bourree, glissade, jeté. Men: tombé pas de bourre, [crazy jump looks like a pas de chat caught in the spin cycle of a washing machine]. Got it?” Teacher looks around room, scrunches up face, inhales “Well…actually, if you want, ladies, you could-uh-do…