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 the Stage Combat Instructor and Fight Director for the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, offering five semesters of training for the Brind School of Theatre. Previously, he has taught at Arcadia University, Rowan University, Temple University, and The 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 well over a hundred 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 twelve years with twenty-six 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, Certified Teacher, and Theatrical Firearms Instructor with the Society of American Fight Directors. He is a three-time Barrymore Award Nominee for Outstanding Movement/ Choreography, and he was featured on the Discovery Channel’s “Project Discovery” series: Careers in the Arts; Fight Director.