Dancer Spotlight: James Cunningham
Name: Jimmy Cunningham
Stage Name: James Cunningham
Hometown: Little Hocking OH
Company Member Since: 2019
Instagram: @jimmyfc4
What’s your “origin story”? How did you fall in love with ballet?
It all started at age 11. I loved to play music as a kid and liked to draw and do crafts. My parents recognized my affinity with the arts. That summer, after seeing an ad in the newspaper for a Fine Arts Day Camp, they signed me up. Little did I know, the camp was hosted by the local dance academy, and a morning dance class was part of the activities for the day. The dance teachers recognized my natural ability and determination to apply myself in the dance classes and scooped me up right away. I was signed up for ballet class in the fall. I didn’t realize I would make ballet my career until much later in college. That’s where I was exposed to classical repertoire and really learned what the profession was all about. I came to realize that the pursuit of this art form matches well with my personality. There is an element of self expression as well as a keen attention to detail. A never ending goal of consistent technique battles the need for fresh and genuine human connection. It’s almost a harmonious conflict; a perfect balance.
Do you have any pre-show rituals or good-luck habits?
I’m not very superstitious about performances. But before each performance I make sure to find a quiet private space to do a good warmup and stretch. The excitement and adrenaline of performance adds extra tension to the body, so I like to feel calm and lengthened beforehand to prepare for those extra stressors.
Ballet is so demanding- how do you take care of your body and recharge offstage?
It is very important to be on top of a self care routine. I take some dietary supplements for joint care and muscle recovery as well as regular epsom salt baths. When a rehearsal period is especially challenging, I do a nightly stretch and roll out routine. Priming the body with a good warm up is also a cornerstone to my routine each morning. I find it important to have a balance in the mind too. I’ll watch some TV or listen to music that’s unrelated to my work day to wind down.
What’s your go-to comfort food after a long rehearsal day?
I love to cook! One of my favorite recipes is pasta Bolognese. I add zucchini, mushrooms and bell pepper. It’s perfect for meal prep too.
Dancer memories are super-charged. How do you keep track of choreography?
I find it helpful to give each movement a name to help me remember a sequence of steps. A lot of our balletic movement vocabulary already has French names. But sometimes it’s more fun to give each moment a qualitative word to associate with.
This helps me turn a sequence of steps into a dance. It becomes more than just executing shapes and rhythms. The body learns to move with more texture and feeling.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about dancing- or life in general?
Breathe. More specifically, exhale. If you exhale, your body will naturally inhale. It’s easy, right?! But sometimes as dancers we can focus so much on our limbs that we forget to breathe. Focusing on breath can help a dancer to remain calmer and have more access to their muscles’ power, it builds confidence too. It’s the ultimate back to basics.
If you could dance any role, regardless of gender or repertoire, what would it be?
I am lucky enough to have danced my favorite role. Romeo was a dream to portray. Such a wide range of emotions, and so much trust to put in a partner onstage. There is nothing like truly feeling all the sensations of hope, love, rage, sorrow, regret, and despair in front of an audience, knowing they are feeling them too.
Aside form shoes and warmups, what is a staple in your dance bag?
A small bouncy ball to roll out the bottoms of my feet, a tube of Voltaren gel, and exercise bands for warm up. I also am know to always have a snack of mixed nuts.
Where do you see ballet heading in the next few years, and what excites you most about being part that future?
I hope to see ballet continue to evolve and challenge new boundaries in the next few years. I love the classics, and it is important to represent the historical cannon of classical works. But what really interests me is how we can push the art form to tell new stories, ones that are relevant to today. So I say let’s take these beautiful classical shapes and timeless coordinations and mix them with new ideas of movement and storytelling to keep the art form relevant to today’s audiences. I’m excited to be a part of this because I believe this is how we will keep our art form alive. This is how we can attract new generations of students to the ballet classrooms. This is how we can build new traditions and continue to entertain audiences.
