Meet Zahna Simon

We had the good fortune of connecting with Zahna Simon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Zahna, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
“Dance doesn’t start with your ears, it starts with your heart”

A quote by Antoine Hunter and an affirmation that grounds me. As a Deaf dancer, I move through a world that often overlooks my perception of sound and communication. But this quote reminds me that silence is not an absence—it’s a presence. My rhythm doesn’t come from a beat I hear, but a vibration I feel. There are rhythms in silence. Embrace the rhythm of your silence; it’s the pulse of your power. A pulse can come from a beating heart which every human has. That beating heart produces rhythms internalized whether you recognize it or not. Does everyone’s heart beat the same way? No, because everyone is different. Do you feel your beating heart 24/7? No, many times you have to focus to listen for your heart within you. That awareness has shaped every part of my artistry and self-worth. This reminds me to listen to the world and my surroundings with every fiber of being. Move and root from the heart in how I interact with other people and in everything I do.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a Deaf dancer and choreographer, I specialize in fusing contemporary, classical ballet, and cultural forms with American Sign Language (ASL). What sets my work apart is how I translate sound into movement, communicate emotion visually and physically and deeply root rhythms in my bones. Rhythms are not just heard with the ears, they are seen with the eyes, felt with the body, translated by the brain and tuned in with the heart. I’m proud of being both an artist and a chemist—two worlds that rarely intersect.

The journey wasn’t easy. Dance saved my life. As an isolated Deaf young girl not understanding the world around me, Dance became my outlet to release the oppression and feel free to express who I am. Then in high school I fell in love with Chemistry. My Chemistry teacher made the class fun by having us watch movies and then answering exam questions based on figuring out the real life science applications from the movies. In college I was involved in many performances and would bring my chemistry books backstage to study for exams while stretching and warming up. Being a Deaf woman in science and in dance meant constantly proving myself in systems not designed for me. But I found power in that. I learned how to advocate, how to lead, and how to make spaces around me accessible.

Having experienced being told I have a “hearing problem,” or that I would never be able to read and write because I am Deaf instilled a deep sense of resilience to the constant experience of being undermined and discriminated against. I developed so much passion and desire to change the world so people like me could belong.

After I graduated college, I decided not to pursue a professional dance career because of the disappointments and reality that the world is not made for Deaf dancers. Instead I focused on my career as a chemist in the pharmaceutical industry in San Diego. I did end up joining a few dance companies as my heart couldn’t stay away from dance, but that was scheduled around my full-time job. I loved my job, I loved my life, I was grateful for what I had, but I felt something was missing. I still had a dream to perform while traveling the world and dancing in a company with other Deaf dancers like me, both of which seemed impossible because I was the only Deaf dancer I knew at that time. I saw other dancer friends on Facebook who were dancing in professional companies and traveling the world, and I felt like I wanted to dance and do more with my life. But I was comfortable where I was, and I really did love my job as a chemist.
Then I had a health scare where I needed surgery to remove pre-cancerous cells. I woke up and realized I only have one life. I have the power to change it, to do things and be places that make me happy. I did exactly that. I quit my job as a chemist and decided to pursue my dance career full time. My first dance class after surgery was Antione Hunter’s class. It felt healing to meet and take a class from a Deaf dance teacher. To know there are others out there who have lived my experiences made me feel less alone. He invited me to perform in the second year of the Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival. This was right when I moved back to San Francisco from San Diego. Through my involvement, I was inspired by meeting other Deaf dancers and Deaf artists with similar passions as mine. Often it feels like the arts world and the Deaf community are separate. In this festival, I felt my two worlds coming together and it felt like home. I knew from that moment that I wanted to invest my energy to be more involved and support this festival so that other Deaf dancers and artists have a place to call home where they have family. They are my family. Now I am a professional dancer, the assistant director of Urban Jazz Dance Company and the Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival, and the office manager for a professional fiduciary office in San Francisco.

If the arts are not accessible I cannot practice my work. I ensure our spaces for Urban Jazz Dance Company performances and tours are accessible for us and for audiences. For the Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival I coordinate ASL interpreters, International Sign, Spanish, captioning, audio description and other access needs. I coordinate ASL interpreters for other performances and provide consultations with other organizations on Deaf access/inclusion including Crip Camp, Sins Invalid, Disability Justice Culture Club, Jess Curtis/Gravity, Berkeley Symphony, ODC, Dance/USA, Dance Magazine and more. My passion is to make the arts accessible—not just for me, but for the next generation.

Through Urban Jazz Dance Company and beyond, my mission is to normalize Deaf and Disabled artists in mainstream stages, not as exceptions but as essential voices. My story is about resilience, representation, radical joy and reaching your dreams.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
A must visit is Little Tokyo in Los Angeles. It’s a peaceful, vibrant spot full of culture, history, and flavor. I don’t want to be too specific about which store — but if you’re going to get matcha, get it in Little Tokyo. That’s where you’ll find the best.
I’ll never forget introducing my friend to organic matcha and watching their faces light up when they tried matcha with watermelon for the first time. During a rehearsal lunch break it was such a simple joy, walking down the street with our ASL interpreters, sharing matcha ice cream like it was the most magical discovery — and honestly, it was.

For me, matcha is more than a drink. It’s better than coffee — no crash, just smooth energy that feels good in your body. Especially for dancers, I always recommend it. You can sit outside, in a space like Times Square or Union Square, enjoy the breeze, and sip matcha while watching the world move. That kind of peaceful recharge is what makes the city feel alive and also reminds me of Japantown in San Francisco. I haven’t been to Tokyo yet but it’s always been a dream to go to Japan!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There’s so many people who deserve credit and recognition in my story because it really takes a village to raise a child. I have three shoutouts I want to dedicate today. My first is to my high school dance teacher, Elvia Marta. She believed in me, pushed me and lifted me to be the best dancer I could be. I failed my first dance exam because I was so focused on trying to be on the music. She told me to try again, practice and focus on the choreography. She emphasized it comes from the heart and encouraged me to come out of my shell.

My second shoutout is to my mom, a single mom who raised me while running two businesses. She always wanted the best for me and when teachers told her that her daughter would never learn to read or write because she’s Deaf, my mom told them they’re wrong and always encouraged me to work hard pushing me to believe I can achieve anything I want to.

I want to dedicate my deepest shoutout to Patty Berne—visionary, co-founder of Sins Invalid, and beloved community elder whose legacy continues to bloom in all of us. Patty’s unwavering commitment to Disability Justice, queer liberation, and intersectional access reshaped how I view myself, my art, and my purpose. She saw brilliance in the margins and made space for those who were never supposed to be on stage. Her leadership wasn’t just about vision—it was about embodiment, love, and radical tenderness.
Patty saw me as me… Warmed my heart when she said “ You’re so Fucking Good at what you’re doing dance.” She saw my arts, that my Deafness, my softness, my rage, and my joy are all valid, sacred, and necessary.
Even now, her spirit dances in my work. Just like the two other UJDC dancers who passed away in 2024. I carry them and Patty with me in every performance, every access plan, every moment I say, “You belong.”
Rest in power, Patty. You are forever celebrated.

Website: https://dancingreenz.blogspot.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deafenpointe/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zahna-simon-31a86614/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zahna.simon/

Other: https://www.realurbanjazzdance.com

Image Credits
Ballet Zaida, RJ Muna, Mickey West Photography, Linda Steele II