James B. Whiteside

Last updated

James Whiteside
James Whiteside Heashot.jpg
Whiteside in 2012
Born
James B. Whiteside

(1984-07-27) July 27, 1984 (age 41)
Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S.
EducationVirginia School of the Arts
Occupation(s)ballet dancer, recording artist, model, drag queen, choreographer
Career
Current group American Ballet Theatre
Former groups Boston Ballet
Website jamesbwhiteside.com

James B. Whiteside (born July 27, 1984), is an American ballet dancer, choreographer, model, drag queen, and recording artist. He is a former principal dancer with Boston Ballet and is currently a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre.

Contents

Early life and training

Whiteside was born on 27 July 1984 at St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport, Connecticut. [1] His parents belonged to wealthy, suburban families, and divorced when he was two. His mother struggled with addiction, and died of cancer in 2016. [2] [3] [4]

Whiteside grew up in Fairfield and Bridgeport. [5] He started training in jazz, tap, and acrobatics at the D'Valda and Sirico Dance and Music Centre, a competition school run by Angela D'Valda and Steve Sirico, when he was nine years old. As part of the Centre's youth company, he toured, performed, and competed in National Dance Alliance's Starpower, Dance Educators of America, StarQuest, and Youth America Grand Prix. [6] [7]

In 2000, Whiteside auditioned to attend the American Ballet Theatre (ABT)'s Summer Intensive and was accepted with a full scholarship. He was fifteen at the time and commuted every day from Fairfield to ABT’s studios in Union Square, New York City. He was placed in the third-lowest level (Blue), out of ten levels, in his first year and was not offered a spot into the ABT Studio Company. The following year, he re-auditioned for his second Summer Intensive at ABT and was awarded a full scholarship again. His teachers, Angie and Steve, arranged for him to spend the summer at their friend's studio apartment on Seventieth and Broadway. For the second year in a row, he was placed in the Blue level. Misty Copeland and David Hallberg, who were in the same Summer Intensive as Whiteside, were placed in the highest levels and had already been offered contracts with ABT Studio Company. [1]

At seventeen, Whiteside received a scholarship to attend the now-defunct Virginia School of Arts in Lynchburg, Virginia and train under the direction of Petrus Bosman and David Keener. [8] [9] After ABT failed to offer him a full scholarship for his third Summer Intensive, he auditioned for Houston Ballet’s Summer Intensive and was offered contractual position as a corps de ballet. He also auditioned and was accepted with full scholarship for Boston Ballet’s Summer Dance Program. In the end, he chose Boston Ballet, as he expected Boston to be less homophobic than Texas. [1] Whiteside was placed in the highest of two men’s levels during his Program and was cast in the pas d’action from La Bayadère.

Career

Ballet

In 2002, Whiteside was offered a position in Boston Ballet II, a season-long, tuition-free program that provides an entryway for young dancers to begin their professional performing careers. He continued to rise through the ranks at Boston Ballet for the next ten years; he became a corps de Ballet in 2003, soloist in 2006, first soloist in 2008, and principal dancer in 2009. [10] [5]

Whiteside was invited to audition for ABT, and joined the company as a soloist in September 2012. [11] He was promoted to principal dancer in October 2013. [5]

He performed with the National Ballet of Canada as a guest artist and was featured in Justin Peck's short film Early Sunday Morning, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. [12] In 2018, he starred in Arthur Pita's The Tenant, based on Roland Topor's novel of the same name, at The Joyce in New York City. [13]

Whiteside hosts his own podcast series on Premier Dance Network called The Stage Rightside with James Whiteside. [14] [15]

Choreography

Whiteside created On the Water for Indianapolis City Ballet's 'Evening with the Stars' in 2015. Set to Claude Debussy, it was originally performed by him and British-born American ballet dancer Gillian Murphy. [16] For 2018 ABT Incubator, he choreographed City of Women which premiered during ABT's Summer Celebration and was later performed in 2021 at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park for the Performing Arts in Tivoli, NY. [17] [18] [19]

In 2017, Disney Japan invited Whiteside to choreograph and perform a Beauty and the Beast Pas de Deux. The dance, featuring him and Boston Ballet's Misa Kuranaga, was a bonus feature for an exclusive DVD and Blu-ray release of a ballet lesson series called Disney Ballet Mousercise. Disney chose a newly arranged piano version of Tale as Old as Time as the music. For the three-act classical ballet, Whiteside was inspired by the "original Beauty and the Beast Disney film, Frederick Ashton's Cinderella and much of Alexei Ratmansky's work." [20] [11]

He choreographed New American Romance that offers a progressive take on classical romantic ballet with "contemporary, sassy injections of turned-in footwork or classical hands that suddenly start to swirl midair." [21] The show, exploring themes of modern love, debuted at 2019 Vail Dance Festival and was later performed at the Lincoln Centre as part of ABT's 2022 fall season. [19] Whiteside created and choreographed Marilyn's Funeral for Juilliard School which was filmed and edited by third-year student Joan Dwiartanto. The dance was conceptualised during the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by his "subconscious need for peace and beauty." The title references the mysterious death of American actress and model Marilyn Monroe. Performed at the Julliard's Peter Jay Sharp Theater, the dance invites the audience to feel sadness and peacefulness–the same emotions that one might associate with a funeral.

Whiteside choreographed Danzón No. 2 which premiered at the ABT's 2023 Fall Gala attended by Mick Jagger, Katie Couric, Molly Ringwald, Zac Posen, and Ivy Getty amongst others. Performed by Isabella Boylston and Aran Bell, the dance was set to Arturo Márquez's music arranged by pianist Yuja Wang. [22] In 2024, he was approached by Larissa Saveliev, the founder and artistic director of Youth America Grand Prix, to choreograph for their 25th Anniversary Gala. He created More Than Anything for the event, set to jazz musician Matthew Whitaker and performed by Catherine Hurlin, Jake Roxander, and Isabella Boylston. [23]

Whiteside is also known for choreographing to more recent, popular music. For 2022 Global Citizen Festival, he choreographed Hero by Mariah Carey. Performed by ABT Studio Company's Madison Brown, Kyra Coco, Tillie Glatz, and Aleisha Walker, the dance featured Carey singing live. [24] He created Young & Beautiful set to music by alt-pop star Lana Del Rey for ABT Studio Company's 2024 Spring Tour. The dance was inspired by a 1995 PBS documentary Silver Feet which follows the trials and tribulations of three students trying to get into the San Francisco Ballet school. [23] His Dance You Outta My Head featuring a song of dance-pop musician Cat Janice was performed by ABT's Madison Brown and Brady Farrar for the 2024 Dance Against Cancer Gala. He has also choreographed to music by Tito Puente and Rozzi Crane. For Alabama Ballet's 2025 season closer, Unbound, Whiteside created TWIGS set to five FKA Twigs songs–Ride the Dragon, Two Weeks, Glass & Patron, Eusexua, and Cellophane. The dance, featuring "lots of partner work, quirky arm and hand movements, and very chic lighting" references some of his favorite works by William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, George Balanchine, and Frederick Ashton. [25]

Whiteside continues to choreograph for music videos, commercials, and film. He choreographed Lover by Taylor Swift and Butterscotch Goddam by electronic music duo Fischerspooner. He was also the choreographer for the footwear company Rothy's TV commercial. [26] [27]

Modeling

Whiteside is represented by Wilhelmina Models and has modeled for Marc Jacobs, Capezio, Koio, MAC, and Glossier. [28] [29]

Music

Whiteside records electronic pop, rap, and dance hall music under the stage name JbDubs. [30] [15] [31] He writes and produces his own music and directs, choreographs, and produces his own music videos. [32] [33] The music video for his single I Hate My Job has been featured on PerezHilton.com , HuffPost , After Elton , Instinct , Shangay Spain , Up2U Thailand , and MTV3 . His music has also been featured on the Here TV network shows BOOMBOX and She's Living for This. [34]

Whiteside released his debut album Free To Love in 2011. His second album, titled Oink, was released in 2012. In 2013 he released an extended play titled Hey JB! [34]

Drag

Whiteside's drag persona Ühu Betch is inspired by his favorite childhood drink Yoo-hoo. He has been doing drag since the early 2000s with a posse of drag queens based in New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia. The group, called The Dairy Queens, consists of Milk, Skim Burley, Ühu Betch, Linda Lakes, and Juggz Au Lait. After he joined ABT, night-life impresario Susanne Bartsch hired them for club nights and parties. [30] [35]

Selected repertoire

Source: [8]

Personal life

Whiteside lived in Manhattan with drag performer Dan Donigan, his partner of 12 years, [36] until their breakup in October 2020. He and Donigan were in an open relationship. [32] [37] [38] [39] In 2021, Whiteside started dating real estate developer Augie Schott after meeting him at a beach volleyball court on Fire Island. [40] [10]

Whiteside suffers from tendonitis in his knees. During a 2021 performance of The Nutcracker , he injured his patellar tendon and underwent surgery three days later. [10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Whiteside, James (2022). Center Center: A Funny, Sexy, Sad Almost-Memoir of a Boy in Ballet. New York: Penguin Books. p. 49. ISBN   9780593297858.
  2. ↑ "The Flip Side of Classical Ballet - The Gay & Lesbian Review". glreview.org. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  3. ↑ Barnett, Charlotte; Branigin, Anne; Jacobs, Shayna; Kingsberry, Janay; Chery, Samantha; Spartos, Carla; Selk, Avi; Stein, Jeff; Hernández, Arelis R. (August 18, 2021). "Review | James Whiteside isn't a typical ballet star, and his memoir isn't a typical ballet story". The Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  4. ↑ Tauer, Kristen (August 23, 2021). "ABT Dancer James Whiteside Channeled Roald Dahl for 'Center Center'". WWD. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 Zhang, Phillip Y. (June 1, 2016). "Isabella Boylston and James Whiteside". Creative New York. Archived from the original on August 29, 2020. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  6. ↑ "James Whiteside talks about his steady rise at American Ballet Theatre". Time Out New York. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  7. ↑ "James Whiteside: From competition kid to ABT star". Dance Informa Magazine. June 7, 2017. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  8. 1 2 "James Whiteside". Abt.org. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  9. ↑ Rizzo, Frank. "The Sit Down: James Whiteside".
  10. 1 2 3 Andrews, Arden Fanning (April 21, 2022). "A Day In the Life of the Ballet Dancer and Choreographer James Whiteside". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  11. 1 2 DeSantis, Marissa (September 6, 2017). "James Whiteside Is Collaborating With Disney Japan and It's Just as Magical as You'd Expect". Dance Magazine. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  12. ↑ "JAMES WHITESIDE - Q Models". Qmanagementinc.com. Archived from the original on August 29, 2020. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  13. ↑ "James Whiteside in The Tenant".
  14. ↑ "The Stage Rightside with James Whiteside on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  15. 1 2 "Ballet Dancer, Drag Queen, Singer & Podcaster: Inside James Whiteside's Fearless, Authentic Life". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 18, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  16. ↑ "James Whiteside Presents: On the Water". Jacob's Pillow Dance Interactive. Archived from the original on January 25, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  17. ↑ Tauer, Kristen (August 23, 2021). "ABT Dancer James Whiteside Channeled Roald Dahl for 'Center Center'". WWD. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  18. ↑ "City of Women". American Ballet Theatre. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  19. 1 2 "How American Ballet Theatre principal James Whiteside is revolutionizing dance". Fast Company. May 14, 2021. Archived from the original on September 7, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  20. ↑ Lansky, Chava Pearl (September 12, 2017). "James Whiteside on Being Disney Japan's Newest Prince". Pointe Magazine. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  21. 1 2 "At American Ballet Theater, New Romantics Can't Beat a Greek God". The New York Times. October 24, 2019. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  22. ↑ Vogue (October 25, 2023). "Mick Jagger, Katie Couric, and More Attend the American Ballet Theatre's Fall 2023". Vogue. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
  23. 1 2 Pandolfi, Christina. "Interview: James Whiteside's YOUNG & BEAUTIFUL Makes New York Premiere at The Joyce". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2024. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  24. ↑ "ABT Incubator | American Ballet Theatre (ABT)". American Ballet Theatre. Archived from the original on March 16, 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  25. ↑ Laubacher, Kyra (May 12, 2025). "James Whiteside on Choreographing to FKA twigs for Alabama Ballet". Pointe Magazine. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  26. ↑ "{{ ($root.post && $root.post.id) ? $root.post.translations[$root.lang].socialTitle : $root.seo.pageTitle | translate | stripHtml }}". www.nowness.com. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  27. ↑ "2025 Festival Artists". Vail Dance Festival. Archived from the original on June 13, 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  28. ↑ "Today, Whiteside Is Experimenting With Dance Theater". Dance Magazine. July 10, 2018. Archived from the original on August 1, 2020. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  29. ↑ "Koio x James Whiteside". Koio.co. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  30. 1 2 Schaefer, Brian (October 14, 2016). "He's a Ballet Dancer. And a Singer. And a Drag Queen". The New York Times . Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  31. ↑ "Dancer James B. Whiteside (AKA JbDubs) Is Physical Perfection - NewNowNext". Newnownext.com. Archived from the original on April 10, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  32. 1 2 "EXCLUSIVE: James B. Whiteside". Loverboy Magazine. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  33. ↑ "James Whiteside is Everything". Dance Spirit. October 6, 2013. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  34. 1 2 "About". James Whiteside. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  35. ↑ "Ballet Dancer James B. Whiteside Shows Off His Body". Out.com. September 2, 2015. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  36. ↑ "Out Love: Ballet dancer James Whiteside (aka JbDubs) & performer Dan Donigan (aka Milk)". Out.com. January 12, 2015. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  37. ↑ "Milk's boyfriend, ballet star James B. Whiteside, on their open relationship". March 23, 2018. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  38. ↑ Street, Mikelle (October 5, 2020). "'Drag Race's Milk and Dancer James Whiteside Have Broken Up". Out Magazine . Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  39. ↑ Regensdorf, Laura (August 19, 2021). "James Whiteside Unwinds With Gay Pulp and In-Shower Whiskey". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on January 23, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  40. ↑ Regensdorf, Laura. "James Whiteside Unwinds With Gay Pulp and In-Shower Whiskey". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on January 23, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
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