The National Ballet of Canada and San Francisco Ballet Reveal Harrison James Will Be on Both Rosters This Season

Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, in partnership with Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director of San Francisco Ballet, have announced that Harrison James will perform as a Principal Dancer with both companies in the 2024/25 season.  

“I am thrilled to be on the roster of two visionary companies for the 2024/25 season: The National Ballet of Canada and San Francisco Ballet. I feel strongly that my identity and value as a dancer has been shaped by working in multiple ballet companies throughout my career and now that this opportunity has risen again, I’m excited to seize it,” said James. 

“This is a wonderful moment for Harrison to have exciting and varying performance opportunities with two extraordinary companies at this point in his celebrated career. Both the National Ballet and San Francisco Ballet share a commitment to advancing our artform with innovative repertoire and unique collaborations and I am pleased to partner with Tamara to offer Harrison this dual role for 2024/25,” said Muir. 

“Harrison is a tremendously talented dancer and I’m delighted to welcome him back to San Francisco and to San Franciso Ballet where he started his career in our Trainee program. I am pleased that we can partner with The National Ballet of Canada to provide audiences across North America with the opportunity to watch him dance,” said Rojo. 

James was born on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand and trained at San Francisco Ballet School's Trainee Program in California and the New Zealand School of Dance. Prior to joining the National Ballet in 2013, he danced with Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Béjart Ballet Lausanne. In 2016, James was promoted to Principal Dancer and his repertoire includes lead roles in Swan Lake, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, The Nutcracker and more. Recently, he made his debut as Basilio in the North American premiere of Carlos Acosta’s Don Quixote, the world premiere of the acclaimed MADDADDAM by Wayne McGregor, as Lensky in John Cranko’s Onegin and performed in the Canadian premiere of David Dawson’s smash hit Anima Animus. 

James will next perform with the National Ballet in Jewels, the final production of the 2023/24 season, onstage June 15 – 22.