Travelling as a Ballet Artist: Harrison James
For this month’s Story Bloom, we had the opportunity to interview the incredible Harrison James to discuss the realities of Travelling as a Ballet Artist. Originally from Paraparaumu, New Zealand, Harrison’s astounding career has taken him around the world - whether in pursuit of training or while touring with a ballet company. In 2016, Harrison became a Principal Dancer with the National Ballet of Canada and continues to dance on prestigious international stages. With this article, we hope to give insight on what a dance career can look like by sharing Harrison’s experiences.
Photo by Karolina Kuras
Being originally from Paraparaumu, New Zealand, you trained at the New Zealand School of Dance and later San Francisco Ballet School’s Trainee Program. What was the incentive for you to move to the US for ballet?
New Zealand is so far away from everything in our little corner of the world - this is both a blessing and a curse. For me, moving to the United States was about being closer to the world of ballet and being able to fully immerse myself in it. In my two years as a trainee, I was surrounded by such incredible dancers in my classes. I attended many many shows by the San Francisco Ballet, which were full of dancers I idolized. This inspired me to work harder and push myself to be better. It was all about being a small fish in a very big pond, in the best way possible!
What are some positive and negative aspects of relocating to new places for your career?
From 2007 until 2013, I never lived in one city for more than two years. It can be difficult to put down roots and feel like you have a home or familiar routine when there is such a short-lived history with the people around you. The culture is different everywhere you move and the places are unfamiliar. These are sacrifices that I think many dancers make in pursuit of a career that is both demanding and rewarding. In this case, the negative aspects are also the positive aspects. Relocating blessed me with so much travel very early on in my life and because of this, I met incredible, beautiful, kind dancers wherever I went! The dance world is very small and insular. We take care of each other. Now whenever I travel, there is always someone there that I know from somewhere else! The whole world has become my home.
As a Principal Dancer with the National Ballet of Canada, you’ve performed on prestigious stages across the world. What is it like touring with a ballet company?
I have always loved being on tour with a ballet company. Touring is full of very long days; it can be overstimulating and exhausting, like a working vacation in the best way! There's a combination of fresh, new, and exciting places to explore, and the familiar routine and rigour of getting into a studio to rehearse and then stepping on stage to perform. For me, it’s truly the best of both worlds and I always try to take advantage of our company tours. I have too many memorable experiences to list here so I'll share some of my favourites - one of them being National Ballet's tour to Paris in 2017. The company performed John Neumeier's ballet 'Nijinsky' at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, exactly where Vaslav Nijinsky performed during his time with the Ballet Russes! Those performances all felt strangely poetic and momentous, like something so historical that the ballet gods were all watching. Another treasured memory of mine was actually when I was on tour with Bejart Ballet in 2013, the year before I joined the National Ballet of Canada. We were performing at the Bunka Kaikan (a huge theatre in Tokyo) and this tour was my first time dancing the role of Zeus in Bejart's ballet 'Dionysus'. I was perhaps a little overly enthusiastic and half way through my solo fell flat on my back in front of thousands of audience members! I often go back to this moment to remind myself that it's okay to fail sometimes, and have a good laugh about it.
You now reside in Toronto, a city with one of the most notable dance scenes in Canada. What have your experiences with the culture been like? Can you offer any advice about the city to aspiring dancers planning to move here?
I was mostly drawn here by the National Ballet of Canada, and knew very little about Toronto prior to moving. It was really fun to discover just how much dance existed within the city! I have so enjoyed being able to attend performances by the many incredible dance institutions that exist here and would highly encourage anyone else to do the same. Toronto is full to the brim with dance talent - get out there and see it all! Absorb what you admire and find inspiring, and then use it to make yourself a better, more well-rounded dancer. Hard advice to follow in these trying times I know, but I have confidence we'll all be back on stage very soon. The world needs dance.
For more inspiration from Harrison, check out his Instagram (@h.j.kiwi).
