On July 31, 2024, James Brady Clouser passed away peacefully in Tucson, Arizona. Born in Rochester, New York in 1935, James delighted the world with his artistry as a choreographer, dancer and musician, and with his warmth as a loving teacher. A devoted family man, he leaves behind not only a dance legacy, but also a cherished family.

James’s gifts in the field of dance are immense, marked by generosity and an abiding respect for the art form. The path he chose was full of surprises from start to finish.

While studying composition, theory and French horn at the Eastman School of Music, he discovered his passion for dance. He changed direction and joined the American Ballet Theatre. In 1959 he joined the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, where he was a principal dancer for nine years. He then went to the Houston Ballet, where he first performed a few stage pieces in 1969 and joined the artistic staff in 1972, where he served as ballet master, resident choreographer and assistant artistic director. He then founded Space/Dance/Theater and later served as artistic director of the Dayton Ballet. He choreographed for numerous companies in Europe, Canada and the USA, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Well-known works include With spirit, Carmina Burana, Rasputin, The Holy Devil (with Erik Bruhn in the leading role), Ear to the stone (performed at the Avignon Festival in 1999 in France) and the Shakespeare-inspired Caliban (a full-length rock ballet to the music of St. Elmo’s Fire). He also composed music for several of his works and for other choreographers.

James’s educational studies took him to the Royal Ballet School in London, the Royal Danish Ballet School in Copenhagen, and the Bolshoi, where he studied the Vaganova method in Russia. He also spent several months as a visiting teacher at the High School of Performing Arts in New York City. His teaching career at higher education institutions has included the Juilliard School, Connecticut College, and the American Dance Festival. He then held leadership positions at Loretto Heights College in Denver, where he became chairman of the Fine Arts program, and at Texas Christian University, where he was full professor and chairman of the ballet and modern dance department. He retired after a subsequent seven-year tenure at the University of North Texas. But in another surprising twist, James ended his “retirement period” to join the dance faculty at the University of Arizona, where he served for another 18 years.

His lifelong dance studies in education, kinesiology/injury prevention, and history allowed him to teach a number of academic courses while continuing to be a creative artist. His courses, as well as his work developing new choreography, staging classics, and reviving some of his earlier pieces, led to him being awarded the James R. Anthony Sustained Excellence in Teaching Award by the University of Arizona’s College of Fine Arts.

Further recognition followed when the organization CORPS de Ballet International selected James for its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015, joining the ranks of other honorees such as Alonzo King and Amanda McKerrow.

As his final retirement approached, James, at the age of 84, took over the direction and choreography for Bernstein’s massa collaboration with artists from UA Dance, the Tucson Symphony, True Concord Voices and Orchestra, Tucson Boys Chorus and special guest vocalist Jubilant Sykes. mass was the crowning performance of the 2018 Tucson Desert Song Festival.

Although it is impossible to summarize James’ life, it was indeed a “celebration” – full of energy, adventure, magic and joy. The countless thousands of people he touched and inspired will remember his kindness and wisdom and the artistry of his life with infinite gratitude, and they will pass on his zeal for breaking new ground to future generations.

James Clouser is survived by his son Mathew and daughter-in-law Miranda, his sister Mary, his wife Sally Waldmann-Clouser, and their daughters Karen Waldmann and Kriste Brushaber. The legacy of his life lives on through them, along with the many friends, colleagues and students whose lives he touched. The family’s wish is that donations in honor of Jim’s legacy be made to Dancing In the Streets AZ. —Written by Melissa Lowe and Jory Hancock