Sara James

Sara James is a multifaceted aerial burlesque dancer driven by fluidity and musicality. Her individual style has been described as liquid, alluring, and powerful. Sara brings a contemporary freshness to her classic burlesque acts. Drawn to the glitz, glamor, and sensual empowerment, she is proficient at morphing from an Old Hollywood beauty to a fiendishly sexy beast, sometimes in the same act!

Sara was classically trained in ballet, jazz, and contemporary dance for over a decade before branching out into other movement styles, such as hip hop, tap, partner acrobatics, belly dance, and burlesque.  Her true passion was found in pole and aerial dance after witnessing the strength, grace, and flexibility it requires - she has devoted the better part of the last decade refining these aspects of her craft. 

Sara is no stranger to the stage, having performed for thousands of people in stadiums as well as more intimate venues.  She performs regularly around Portland, Oregon for productions such as Jack London Burly Q Revue, Sinferno Cabaret, and Booklover’s Burlesque.

Sara James produces full-length cabaret, variety, and aerial burlesque shows in Portland, Oregon. Her first production in May 2024 NINE INCH HEELS was a huge sold out success and gave an independent platform for pole dancers to showcase their art. In January 2025, she realized a 10-year long dream of creating performance opportunities for aerial burlesque artists with her production company Dare and Derriere. Their first show DUALITY sold out the 400+ seat venue Alberta Rose Theatre and was heralded by the audience “soul-touching,” “INSPIRING,” “incredibly powerful, emotional, and brilliantly curated,” and “the best aerial and burlesque show I’ve ever seen!” Learn more about her productions at dareandderriere.com