James Starbuck

James Starbuck (March 13, 1912 – August 13, 1997) was an American ballet dancer, choreographer, musical theatre actor, and stage and television director, born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and died in Beverly Hills, California. His training encompassed modern dance under Martha Graham and ballet under four distinct teachers: Adolph Bolm, Edward Caton, Vera Nemtchinova, and Anatole Oboukhov.

Starbuck's performing career began in earnest with the San Francisco Opera Ballet, where he danced as a principal from 1935 to 1938. He then joined the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo, serving as a principal dancer from 1938 to 1944 and becoming the first American man to dance with that company.

His Broadway career ran from 1943 to 1948 and included productions such as The Merry Widow Burlesque, Song of Norway, Music in My Heart, The Winter's Tale, and Sleepy Hollow. In the original production of Song of Norway (1944), he portrayed two roles, Freddy and Tito. He played Ivan Petrofski in the original production of Music in My Heart (1947) and Walt in the original production of Sleepy Hollow (1948). Starbuck also choreographed two Broadway musicals, Michael Todd's Peep Show (1950) and Oh Captain! (1958), and served as associate director of the Broadway play A Thurber Carnival (1960).

Beginning in 1947, Starbuck moved into television, becoming the resident choreographer for Your Show of Shows, where he also appeared regularly as a featured dancer in parodies of classic ballets alongside Imogene Coca. On that program he additionally choreographed and danced in numbers with guest ballet dancers Alicia Markova, Mia Slavenska, and Maria Tallchief. His choreography for Max Liebman Presents and Shower of Stars with Ethel Merman earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Choreography in 1956. He subsequently won two Emmy Awards for his work as choreographer and director on The Arthur Murray Party and The Andy Williams Show.