James Klump, originally from Lake Charles, LA, began his training with Sarah Quinn Jones before continuing with Colleen Benoit and the Lake Charles Dance Academy. During his time there, Klump danced with the pre-professional company performing roles in Swan Lake, La Fille Mal Gardee, Coppelia, Etudes, and The Nutcracker.

In 2020, Klump joined Oklahoma City Ballet as a trainee following participation in the summer intensive and was promoted to apprentice in 2021. During his three seasons with Oklahoma City Ballet, Klump has performed in Robert Mills' The Nutcracker and The Little Mermaid, Septime Webre's ALICE (in wonderland), Sarah Tallman's Love in a Jukebox, and Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye's The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and The Nutcracker, and Val Caniparoli's Lady of the Camellias, and George Balanchine's Western Symphony.