Contact Cath

01373 462 867

Catherine James

Catherine danced in Australia for ten years, with Expressions, Queensland Ballet and Dance North, touring extensively throughout Australia and in the Far East before coming to live in England in 1988. On arrival she joined the fledgling Siobhan Davies Dance Company (SDDC) for its inaugural season then became a leading dancer with Rambert Dance Company where she stayed for five years: creating principle roles with Merce Cunningham, Richard Alston, Ashley Page, Herve Robbe and Glen Tetley. Catherine went back to SDDC in 1995 as a dancer and in 2003 retired from performing.
As a dancer Catherine ‘Quinn’ (as she was known) won an Olivier Award and a Southbank Award, and others including the UK Contemporary Dancer of the Year Award and a Time Out Award.

Catherine was a founding member of Jeremy James and Company. After James’ untimely death, she became Artistic Director for the European tour to Zagreb and Berlin in 2000 and continues to oversee requests for James' work. In 2003 she staged Siobhan Davies’ White Man Sleeps for Scottish Ballet's relaunch under Ashley Page.
As a Class Teacher, Catherine has taught all the UK's top contemporary dance companies, including Random, Richard Alston, AMP, Diversions, Mark Baldwin, Rambert, and Scottish Ballet as well as Expressions, Dance North and Queensland Ballet in Australia and two New York dance schools.

Catherine is currently the Head of Special Projects for Siobhan Davies Dance, where her primary role is to create and oversee all aspects of UK and international education and projects. She is also responsible for the company’s professional development projects, and for securing the funding and partnerships to deliver these projects. Catherine was until recently, Company and Tour Manager, planning and managing all aspects of the company’s UK and International  touring, as well as day to day management of the performing company.
Catherine was the Producer for Snag, an independent collective of choreographers, the Curator of Snagged and Clored (an annual two-week summer season of independent contemporary dance at the Royal Opera House), Co-Programmer of Snagged in Blue (a week of dance at the Wales Millennium Centre), and developed the first  Christmas Comedy programme of dance: Bare Wittiness at the South Bank, London in December 2006.
Catherine was on the Arts Council England Dance Touring panel in 2003 and 2004. She is currently Deputy Chair of the Board of Directors of the Merlin Theatre Frome, and freelance consultant to the Director of Bath ICIA.
Catherine was Editor (1994-2000) of one of the UK’s first contemporary dance websites – www.danceservice.co.uk , and Dance Correspondent (1998 - 2002) for the Internet news service ANANOVA; her articles have been published in Dance Europe, Terpsichore Magazine (Denmark) and on many dance websites throughout the world. As mentor and advisor, Cath supports younger dancers and choreographers and enjoys helping out the local community with choreographic assistance and advice for school productions.
Catherine takes a keen interest in the arts at local schools and has lead many dance days for primary and high schools, most recently leading a full day conference deconstructing the current GCSE set work Bird Song, for over 500 students from around the country.