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Since my teenage years, dance, choreography, and classical ballet have always been integral to my creative life, igniting a profound passion within me. In high school, I had the opportunity to delve into composition, where I created modern dance pieces influenced by classical and contemporary music. Simultaneously, I developed a fascination for narrative ballets. Taking the initiative, I self-produced my first full-length ballet, titled "Beauty and The Beast," bringing together classical ballet and contemporary dancers from my community to bring the production to life.

Dance, as a living art form, continually evolves, pushing the boundaries of its expression. While my foundation lies in classical ballet, my work explores innovative ways to utilize the classical ballet technique, expanding the physical capabilities of both classically trained and non-classically trained dancers. When choreographing classical or contemporary ballet, my creative process often commences with structured improvisation, enabling an exploration of movement vocabulary and discovering novel ways to challenge the artist's emotional connections. I strive to engage artists in a human manner that fosters discussions about the creative process, encouraging further exploration whether we are crafting a ballet, classical piece, or abstract composition.
 

In my choreographic journey, I immerse myself in the music, movement, and collaborating artists. Visual artists, costume and lighting designers, composers, books, films, and current events often inspire me. Collaborating with designers enriches the creative outcomes, and I find great joy in working with project titles or production themes. Rather than fixating on creating a masterpiece, my focus lies in producing work that leaves the audience with thought-provoking questions or a sense of enjoyment. It is crucial for the choreography to speak for itself and possess its own distinct voice for interpretation.
 

My artistic aspirations encompass sharing my talent and voice with numerous ballet and dance companies across the nation. Additionally, I am passionate about undertaking television, film, broadway, and collaborative projects that can effect change within the dance community. Producing festivals that provide communities with opportunities to celebrate the art of dance on various levels is another endeavor I thoroughly enjoy.
 

In my creative process, I draw inspiration from an array of influential figures in the dance world, including Alvin Ailey, John Alleyne, George Balanchine, Ben Stevenson, Val Caniparoli, Ron Cunningham, Ulysses Dove, Eliot Feld, William Forsythe, Robert Garland, Geoffrey Holder, Christopher Huggins, Alonzo King, Arthur Mitchell, Jean-Christophe Maillot, Alexei Ratmansky, Jerome Robbins, Michael Smuin, Christopher Wheeldon, Wayne McGregor, Jiri Kylian, Batsheva, Ohad Naharin, Aszure Barton, Martha Graham, Donald Byrd, Abdel R. Salaam, and Dwight Rhoden, among others.

James R. Atkinson, Jr.