J. Alex Cordaro

headshot of J Alex Cordaro. J is seen against a a background of a pier over choppy waves. J is bald and has a short grey bushy beard while wearing a blue short v neck t shirt.
Faculty

Theater - Acting (BFA)

J. Alex Cordaro is a Philadelphia-based fight director and educator with over 30 years of training, practice, and experience creating stage violence. Since 2018, he has been an adjunct professor, stage combat instructor, and fight director at University of the Arts and offers five semesters of training for the Brind School of Theater Arts. Previously, he has taught at Arcadia University, Rowan University, the North Carolina School of the Arts, Temple University, and University of Delaware. Alex is also a core instructor for the annual Philadelphia Stage Combat Workshop, which is going into its 25th year.

As a designer, Alex has fight-directed over 100 professional productions with Equity and AGMA, including six world premieres and numerous Philadelphia and U.S. premieres. In addition, his choreography has been sailing across Europe for the past 12 years with 26 different casts in Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s productions of Saturday Night Fever! and Columbus …The Musical. Alex has directed numerous fights for Philadelphia area dance companies, regional colleges, and young company tours.

Alex is a certified fight director, a certified teacher, and a theatrical firearms instructor with the Society of American Fight Directors. He is a three-time Barrymore Award nominee for Outstanding Movement/ Choreography and was featured on the Discovery Channel’s Project Discovery series: Careers in the Arts; Fight Director.