Alexandra James is a Southern Maine native, maker, mover and mother.  As an independent artist, she's engaged with improvisation and interdisciplinary investigation, the interrogation of pedagogy and craft, seeking liberation through the integrity of embodied knowledge and the sharing of practice. In addition to her role at Bates Dance Festival, Alexandra is a professor of Dance at Bates & Colby College. Her work has been presented in Chicago, New York and South Africa, with a teaching practice that carries her nationally. She earned her BFA from the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago in 2009. 

Follow Alexandra on Instagram @allie.jamesandthegiantpeach

EXCHANGE #12
In conversation with Alexandra James (Portland, Maine)
Recorded on December 7, 2021

This is an edited version of Joanna and Alexandra’s hour and a half conversation and includes topics such as: the idea of home and familiarity alongside the willingness to go into unknown spaces as artists, saying yes, and improvising your way through a scenario.

*To turn closed captioning on or off, click on the CC icon in the bottom right corner of the video.

Below is the raw movement exchange relayed from Nic Lincoln to Alexandra. You will see Nic doing his original movement and then you will see both of them doing Nic’s movement, which Alexandra learned. Alexandra will add onto this and that movement will be passed onto Joanna Kotze in Brooklyn, NY.

This is the raw movement exchange relayed from Alexandra James to Joanna Kotze. You will see Alexandra doing her original movement and then you will see both of them doing Alexandra’s movement, which Joanna learned. This closes the first loop of LDDD. Joanna began it by passing movement to Omagbitse Omagbemi.

Photos by (left to right): Séan Alonzo Harris (@seanalonzoharris), Jonathan Hsu (@jhsumedia), Jonathan Hsu (@jhsumedia), Séan Alonzo Harris (@seanalonzoharris)

This project is commissioned in part by the American Dance Festival (ADF).

Logo design by Chris Cherry