James Davis ("J.D.") has been dancing since he was a preteen (back when "Old School" was still new). Funk, R&B, and soul were and still are his favorite types of music, and dancing to them has always been a passion. His earliest influence was James Brown. Since 2004, he's been performing a funky James Brown-inspired routine at various events, notably Beantown 2007 and 2008, and Swing & Soul 2008. Recently he started teaching some party dances of the '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. He hopes to share his passion for this type of music and dance.