James Whiteside (dancer)

James B. Whiteside (born 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.

Early life and training

Whiteside was born in Fairfield, Connecticut. He grew up in Fairfield and in Bridgeport. He began his dance training at the D’Valda & Sirico Dance and Music Centre when he was nine years old. He began training in jazz, tap, and acrobatic dance and did not begin studying classical ballet until he was a teenager. He later attended the Virginia School of the Arts and trained under the direction of Petrus Bosman and David Keener.

Career

Ballet

In 2002 he joined Boston Ballet II, eventually joining the corps de ballet of Boston Ballet in 2003. He was promoted to soloist in 2006, first soloist in 2008, and principal dancer with Boston Ballet in 2009. Whiteside left Boston Ballet and joined American Ballet Theatre as a soloist in September 2012. He was promoted to principal dancer in October 2013.

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. In 2018, he starred in Arthur Pita’s dance/theater work The Tenant at The Joyce Theater in New York City.

In 2019, his choreographed work ''New American Romance'' debuted in 2019.

Whiteside hosts his own podcast series on Premier Dance Network called ''The Stage Rightside with James Whiteside''.

Modeling

Whiteside is represented by Wilhelmina Models and has modeled for Marc Jacobs, Capezio, Koio shoes, MAC, and Glossier.

Music

Whiteside records electronic pop, rap, and dance hall music under the stage name JbDubs. He writes and produces his own music and directs, choreographs, and produces his own music videos. 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''.

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!''

Drag

Whiteside performs as a drag queen in New York City's drag scene under the stage name Ühu Betch. He is a member of a drag ensemble called ''Dairy Queens''. He has his own line of clothing at ''Drag Queen Merch''.

Selected repertoire

Boston Ballet

*''Theme and Variations''
*''Coppélia''
*''Rubies''
*''Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux''
*''Serenade''
*''A Midsummer Night’s Dream''
*''La Valse''
*Maina Gielgud's ''Giselle''
*Mikko Nissinen’s ''The Nutcracker''
*Mikko Nissinen’s ''Swan Lake''
*John Cranko’s ''Romeo and Juliet''
*Marius Petipa’s '' The Sleeping Beauty''
*Jiři Kylián’s ''Bella Figura''
*Jiři Kylián’s ''Petite Mort''
*Mark Morris’ ''Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes''
*Jorma Elo’s ''Carmen''

American Ballet Theatre

*Solor in ''La Bayadère''
*The Prince in Frederick Ashton’s ''Cinderella''
*Conrad and Ali, the Slave in '' Le Corsaire''
*Basilio and Espada in ''Don Quixote''
*Oberon in '' The Dream''
*Colas in ''La Fille mal gardée''
*Albrecht in ''Giselle''
*Lescaut in ''Manon''
*The Nutcracker Prince in Alexei Ratmansky’s ''The Nutcracker''

*Prince Gremin in Onegin''
*Romeo in ''Romeo and Juliet''
*Prince Désiré in '' The Sleeping Beauty''
*Prince Siegfried and von Rothbart (Ballroom) in ''Swan Lake''
*Orion in '' Sylvia''
*''Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux''
*Prince Coffee in ''Whipped Cream''
*''Bach Partita''
*'' Symphonic Variations''
*'' Symphony in C''
*''Theme and Variations''
*''Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes''

Created roles

*The Man in ''AfterEffect''
*Harlequin in Ratmansky’s ''Harlequinade''
*Dionysius in ''Of Love and Rage''
*Zephyr in ''The Seasons''
*''AFTERITE''
*''Garden Blue''
*''Serenade after Plato’s Symposium''
*''A Time There Was''
*''With a Chance of Rain''
*''Dream within a Dream (deferred)''

Choreographed works

*''City of Women'' for ABT Incubator
*''Sway'' for Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night’s Swing
*''New American Romance'' for American Ballet Theatre

Source:

Personal life

Whiteside lived in Manhattan with Dan Donigan, his partner of 12 years. He and Donigan were in an open relationship. The couple ended their relationship in October 2020.

In 2021, he started dating Augie Schott.

References

External links

*

James Whiteside
at American Ballet Theatre

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whiteside, James B.
Living people
1984 births
American Ballet Theatre principal dancers
American drag queens
American male ballet dancers
American male models
American male pop singers
Boston Ballet principal dancers
Boston Ballet II dancers
Dancers from Connecticut
LGBT people from Connecticut
American LGBT musicians
People from Fairfield, Connecticut
Gay models
LGBT dancers