Hailing from Staunton, Virginia, Mr. Jordan's early years revolved around music and theatre before
beginning his formal dance training at the Richmond Ballet during his freshmen year at Virginia Commonwealth University's
theatre department. Offered scholarships to North Carolina School of the Arts, James studied there three years
before being recruited by Todd Bolender, in 1981, for his first company of dancers in Kansas City. During and after
those next seven years as principal dancer with the Kansas City Ballet, he also performed with The Santa Fe Opera
and several companies in the New York area. His career then led him to press relations for public television in
New York, prior to his return to Kansas City in 1991 as ballet master where he is currently based. In 1993, James
first worked for the Antony Tudor Trust with Airi Hynninen and Sally Brayley Bliss on Tudor's "Gala Performance"
and then "Offenbach in the Underworld" with Donald Mahler in 1998. Since then, he has continued to accompany
Mr. Mahler across the nation as Mahler has also staged "Lilac Garden", "Dark Elegies" and "Echoing
of Trumpets". As répétiteur for the Tudor Trust, James has staged "Gala Performance"
for The San Francisco Ballet, Tulsa Ballet Theatre and Kansas City Ballet. Under the guidance of Ms. Bliss, he
most recently staged "Offenbach in the Underworld" on Milwaukee Ballet and "Dark Elegies" on
the students of Washington University in St. Louis. In 2000, he received his B.F.A. in dance from the UMKC Conservatory
of Music and Dance and is currently president of their alumni board. Mr. Jordan also stages the ballets of Mr.
Bolender.
