James Cousins
James is an Olivier Award winning choreographer, director and artistic director of his
eponymous dance company, James Cousins Company, which has toured nationally
and internationally to critical acclaim since 2013 and in 2019 was nominated for Best
Independent Company at the National Dance Awards. In 2021 the company took
over Battersea Arts Centre with ‘We Are As Gods’, the company’s first large scale
immersive event which went on to take over the National Theatre’s River Stage in
2023.
Current work includes movement direction on Abigail’s Party (Theatre Royal Stratford East, dir. Nadia Fall).
In 2023 James choreographed the Bridge Theatre’s immersive production of Guys
and Dolls with Arlene Phillips and worked as Associate Director to Nicholas Hytner.
Other theatre credits include choreographer on Spring Awakening 15th Anniversary
Concert (Victoria Palace, dir Jamie Armitage), A Christmas Carol (Bridge Theatre, dir
Nick Hytner) and Toy Show The Musical (Convention Centre Dublin, dir Séimi
Campbell); co-director and movement director on The Book of Dust (Bridge Theatre);
associate choreographer on Cold War (Almeida Theatre, dir Rupert Goold) and A
Midsummer Night’s Dream (Bridge Theatre, dir. Nick Hytner); associate director on
The Cher Show (UK Tour, dir. Arlene Phillips) and Bach and Sons (Bridge Theatre, dir.
Nick Hytner).
On screen, James’s credits include choreographer on The Choral by Alan Bennett (dir. Nick Hytner) and Season 2 of the Netflix hit Sandman.
As a freelance choreographer James has been commissioned to create work for
companies around the world including National Ballet of Chile, Royal Ballet of
Flanders and Scottish Ballet as well as music videos for MUSE and pop sensation
Anne-Marie and working commercially for brands including Vogue, Bulgari, Impulse
and Jigsaw.
James was the inaugural winner of the New Adventures Choreographer Award,
selected by Matthew Bourne for his ‘refreshing desire to entertain’ and the resulting
production Within Her Eyes is currently on the GCSE Dance syllabus in England.
James grew up in Newbury, Berkshire and trained at London Contemporary Dance School.
eponymous dance company, James Cousins Company, which has toured nationally
and internationally to critical acclaim since 2013 and in 2019 was nominated for Best
Independent Company at the National Dance Awards. In 2021 the company took
over Battersea Arts Centre with ‘We Are As Gods’, the company’s first large scale
immersive event which went on to take over the National Theatre’s River Stage in
2023.
Current work includes movement direction on Abigail’s Party (Theatre Royal Stratford East, dir. Nadia Fall).
In 2023 James choreographed the Bridge Theatre’s immersive production of Guys
and Dolls with Arlene Phillips and worked as Associate Director to Nicholas Hytner.
Other theatre credits include choreographer on Spring Awakening 15th Anniversary
Concert (Victoria Palace, dir Jamie Armitage), A Christmas Carol (Bridge Theatre, dir
Nick Hytner) and Toy Show The Musical (Convention Centre Dublin, dir Séimi
Campbell); co-director and movement director on The Book of Dust (Bridge Theatre);
associate choreographer on Cold War (Almeida Theatre, dir Rupert Goold) and A
Midsummer Night’s Dream (Bridge Theatre, dir. Nick Hytner); associate director on
The Cher Show (UK Tour, dir. Arlene Phillips) and Bach and Sons (Bridge Theatre, dir.
Nick Hytner).
On screen, James’s credits include choreographer on The Choral by Alan Bennett (dir. Nick Hytner) and Season 2 of the Netflix hit Sandman.
As a freelance choreographer James has been commissioned to create work for
companies around the world including National Ballet of Chile, Royal Ballet of
Flanders and Scottish Ballet as well as music videos for MUSE and pop sensation
Anne-Marie and working commercially for brands including Vogue, Bulgari, Impulse
and Jigsaw.
James was the inaugural winner of the New Adventures Choreographer Award,
selected by Matthew Bourne for his ‘refreshing desire to entertain’ and the resulting
production Within Her Eyes is currently on the GCSE Dance syllabus in England.
James grew up in Newbury, Berkshire and trained at London Contemporary Dance School.
