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Birthplace
Rochford, UK

Training
English National Ballet School

English National Ballet
Joined 2004, Promoted First Artist 2007, Junior Soloist 2011, Soloist 2015, First Soloist 2018

Favourite roles
Tybalt in Romeo & Juliet; Albrecht in Akram Khan’s Giselle and In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated by William Forsythe

Repertoire and notable roles
Pina Bausch’s Le Sacre du printemps; Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Laid in Earth; Tybalt in Derek Deane’s Romeo & Juliet in-the-round at the Royal Albert Hall; Rothbart in Swan Lake (both in-the-round and proscenium arch productions by Derek Deane); Drosselmeyer in Wayne Eagling’s Nutcracker; Albrecht in Akram Khan’s Giselle; Akram Khan’s Dust (including on the Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury 2014); Major in Akram Khan’s Creature; William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, Approximate Sonata 2016 and Playlist (EP); Father in Andrea Miller’s Les Noces, Ascent to Days.

Other info
In 2018 he was Nominated for Outstanding Male Performance (Classical) at the Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards for performances as Albrecht in Akram Khan’s Giselle.
In 2011 and 2015, James was a finalist in English National Ballet’s annual Emerging Dancer competition