James Whiteside is a Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre and a multifaceted artist working across choreography, writing, and media, including The Stage Rightside with James Whiteside podcast and Substack, and his memoir Center Center, published by Penguin Books.

He began his ballet training at age nine at the D’Valda & Sirico Dance and Music Centre in Fairfield, Connecticut. After completing his training, he joined Boston Ballet, where he rose to Principal Dancer. In 2012, he joined American Ballet Theatre and was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2013. His repertoire includes leading roles in Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, and more, including numerous contemporary works.

In addition to his performing career, Whiteside has choreographed for artists including Mariah Carey and Taylor Swift, and continues to create work across music videos, commercials, film, and ballet. His choreography includes New American Romance, City of Women, and Danzón No. 2 for American Ballet Theatre, as well as Marilyn’s Funeral for The Juilliard School, and many more. His short film Daytripper, which he directed and choreographed, was nominated for a New York Emmy Award and premiered on All Arts/PBS.

Offstage, Whiteside is the author of Center Center: A Funny, Sexy, Sad Almost-Memoir of a Boy in Ballet. His social media platforms reach nearly one million followers, with brand partnerships including St-Germain, Sonos, and Uber. He is also the host of The Stage Rightside with James Whiteside, a podcast and Substack, where he publishes essays and conversations that offer an unfiltered, behind-the-scenes perspective on the realities of a life in ballet. Whiteside has completed Harvard Business School’s Crossover Into Business program.