By
Lisa Lucas
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Guest choreographer James Clouser teaches in UA dance
James Clouser, master teacher of dance, isn't letting opportunity pass him by - even after his retirement.
Clouser, now guest teaching at the University of Arizona School of Dance, said he danced with several people associated with the school in the Houston Ballet during the 1970s.
Two of these people include Jory Hancock, head of the UA dance division, and Hancock's wife, Melissa Lowe, an associate professor of dance. Clouser said he regards the UA dance program as a leading department in the nation.
The majority of Clouser's career, however, was not spent in the United States. He was a principal dancer with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in Canada before returning to the U.S., where he taught dance at Julliard and the American Dance Festival. Clouser has also taught at numerous universities.
"I retired from the University of North Texas last spring," Clouser said. "And immediately Jory (Hancock) said, 'You don't really want to be retired, do you?'"
This comment from Hancock prompted Clouser to come to the UA for a semester to stage his famous ballet, "Carmina Burana."
Premiering in 1975, Clouser created "Carmina Burana" in a mere nine days even though he was given 15 days to do it.
"I had a company of dancers with whom I've worked with pretty much all of them before," Clouser said. "I knew the music in my sleep. I knew the piece pretty much backwards and forwards, and I had those dancers five hours a day with no outside distractions."
He described his teaching technique as being based on both mechanics and heart.
"If you came in to watch my class, you might find me a very picky teacher, but the mechanics are to reveal the heart," he said. "It's great for an actor to say, 'I feel this character with my heart,' but if I can't speak without mumbling, how can I let the audience know how I feel?"
Clouser's advice to aspiring young dancers is to focus on safety above all, but also to "take every opportunity to dance - take every chance you can. Try everything, (and) if there is something you like better than dance, don't dance."
