Knoxville native Jordan James becomes first male athlete to join Tennessee dance team

Yahoo

06-04-2025

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — When football, basketball and track just didn't seem like the right fit, Jordan James found himself in a dance class.
'I had a little jazz funk class. I didn't care a care in the world. I probably looked like a hot mess throwing my body around,' said James.
That was the start of James feeling like he found his place. About seven years later, that place became Tennessee.
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'At first I was a little iffy about dancing in college. And then I went on a tour with two of my current teammates, Mercedes and Alana, and they like really made me feel comfortable here and like this could be my future home for the next four years,' James said. 'Then I went to a clinic, I think that's when I realized this is where I wanna be. I'm gonna keep working at it until I can dance for the Vols.'
While a guy had never made the Tennessee dance team, around the country, they had.
'I think once one person did it or you see like another person its kind of like a trend that starts, I saw a couple guys on a college dance team and I was like 'oh, I want to do that.' And I didn't know not necessarily that it was possible but that was an option for me. You never know if it's an option for you until you try,' said James.
Now proudly wearing the orange and white, James is among those who once inspired him.
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'I think it's so important to me because there's nothing worse than feeling defeated or why bother trying, so like seeing someone else that is representing the boys in the dance community I think its really important to have that representation of if I can do it you can do it,' James said.
The freshman in a position to show younger dancers that there's a space to find their place, just like he did.
'When people come up to me with that, it just makes means the world to me because just like knowing that I've inspired other people,' said James, 'I'm had people contact, DM me, in various other ways but in person at a basketball game or football game like OMG, you've inspired me so much I just get overwhelmed with joy.'
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While it's it's cool to be the first guy dancer at Tennessee, James talked about how he doesn't necessarily look at it that way, saying he's just another person on the team and there to represent the Vols in every way possible.
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