James Kinney is a World Choreography Award-winning director, choreographer and creative producer whose celebrated artistic vision has established him as a respected voice in the world of dance entertainment across all mediums.
Most recently, Kinney has conceived, directed, and choreographed five short films currently garnering acclaim around the globe. With over 30 official selections including Cannes Indie Shorts Awards, San Francisco Dance Film Festival, New York International Film Festival, and Los Angeles Dance Shorts, his films “Lady be Good”, “Melancholy Man” and “Anyone” have won Best Dance Film, Best Direction, Best Performance, and Best Cinematography, respectively. James has also created original cinematic pieces for BroadStream, a new online streaming platform. “The Game” , a film-noir dance short premiered in early 2023 at Lincoln Center, and his newest, “Bound by a Thread”, a dance-driven documentary short premiered at the prestigious Dance Camera West where it was awarded Best Documentary-2024.

James’ work has bridged the worlds of dance and fashion, having directed and choreographed innovative live events for Hermès of Paris. Recently, he worked with luxury jewelry brand MARLI New York in creating the dynamic movement for their international ad campaign “Making an Entrance”.

Having begun his career as a dancer and actor on Broadway in iconic shows such as Fosse and Sweet Charity, and with his choreographic roots in theatre and concert dance, Kinney has been named BroadwayWorld's Best Choreographer for several theatrical works, created celebrated pieces for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, choreographed over 40 major musicals (including such favorites as Chicago, Disney’s Newsies, Kinky Boots, The Addams Family, West Side Story, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Crazy for You), and created world-premier pieces for Fire Island Dance Festival and Hudson Valley Dance Festival, as well as several ballets in repertoire with New Jersey Ballet. Kinney's choreography has been seen on such iconic stages as The Hollywood Bowl, Lincoln Center, The Old Globe, The Kimmel Center and The Marquis and Minskoff Theatres on Broadway.