- Photo Credit: Lou Freeman 2010
SISSY SIMMONS, OWNER OF DACRUNK SQUAD
Sissy Simmons was born and raised in Miami, Florida. Of Cuban decent, she began her training in Salsa and Merengue at a very early age. This was followed by training in ballet and jazz at the age of 8. While at the Hot Wheels Skating Rink at the age of ten, she saw Afrika Bambaata perform live. It had a profound and lasting effect upon her. Even today, she says “that was the day I fell in love with Hip-hop.” The very next year the studio in Miami where she was studying started a street dancing course. This is when Sissy really began to excel in dance. She notes that this was the period where she really began to understand what “dancing with your soul” truly meant.
She continued dancing and performing until she entered Florida State University where she danced with The Golden Girls. She also graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and Spanish with a minor in Dance. After graduation, she moved to Georgia to teach and continue to pursue her dance career.
Sissy used her dance and physical education knowledge to compete in the Ms. Fitness America competition. She won first place in Georgia and then moved on to Anaheim, California to compete in the finals which were aired on ESPN. In this, her first major competition, Sissy placed second overall, a stunning outcome for a novice!
Subsequently, she was offered a job at Life University as Dance Team Director and performer where she resides now in Atlanta. Sissy was then blessed with so many opportunities that she began doing dance full time. She works at Becky Jones School of Dance, Kruti Dance Academy, Downtown Dance and finally in April 2005 she started Da’Crunk Squad.
