James Leja

Biography

James Leja was born in Montréal, Québec, and trained at the Quinte Ballet School. In 2001 and 2002, he danced with The Banff Centre for the Arts. He joined the company as a member of the Corps de Ballet in 2003.

With the National Ballet, Mr. Leja has danced Gremio in The Taming of the Shrew, Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet, the lead Pontevedrian Dancer in The Merry Widow and the Fox in The Nutcracker, as well as roles in The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Giselle, Madame Butterfly, The Firebird, Cinderella, The Contract (The Pied Piper), Alice, Elite Syncopations, Cruel World, Song of the Earth, Opus 19/The Dreamer, Voluntaries, La Ronde, The Four Seasons and Etudes.

Mr. Leja danced in the world premieres of James Kudelka’s An Italian Straw Hat and Cinderella, Matjash Mrozewski’s Monument, Peter Quanz’s IN COLOUR and Crystal Pite’s Emergence. He danced in the recent company premieres of John Neumeier’s The Seagull and Davide Bombana’s Carmen.

Mr. Leja is also a member of Opera Atelier’s ballet company, where he received critical acclaim for his performance as Amour in 2006. The same year he also won the National Ballet’s Patron Award of Merit.