why.

My dance work is rooted in an exploration of the person as expressed in their movements, and a conscious effort to break free of the confines of western dance traditions. I try to eliminate the dichotomy of seeing manual labor (whether as a dancer or ditch digger) and intellectual labor. I see dance as a series of physical intellectual gestures, derived from the connection and dissonance of the natural world and human nature. I try to use a weaving of memory, story, and emotion to approach some of the philosophical and intellectual issues we wrestle with in being human.

bio.

As a movement artist, I navigate the human experience in stage and site-specific work, performance art, durational art, installation art, and screen dances by weaving subconscious patterns of thought, habits, and interactions of our creature into my choreography. I respect high levels of movement training without adhering to an aesthetic of virtuosity, attention to detail without demanding polish, tradition with skepticism and investigation.

My research includes using technology to increase audience participation and inclusion, creating inefficient viewing spaces to encourage interaction, and creating Performance Art Resources, an online research aid listing artists, opportunities, articles and literature on performance art from every country in the world. Currently, 144 countries and over 2000 are represented.

I have performed for audiences at the San Francisco Yerba Buena Center, dangling from ropes at a train station in Chicago, and dragging 100 lb. log through the busy streets of Manhattan. James was the recipient of the famed Isadora Duncan Dance Award (Izzie) for his duet work “The Adventures of Cunning & Guile” with the amazing choreographer Chris Black.

teaching.

Learning, creativity and research are guided by curiosity. In teaching, I encourage a courageous creativity, where students are not afraid to fail or be wrong but are emboldened to explore new processes and ideas. Our emotions, histories, stresses and ideas are tied into our bodies. Our creativity in dance is a focal point, not only of our present, but the entirety of our person.