ABT Dancer James Whiteside's 'Almost Memoir'

As principal dancer of American Ballet Theatre since 2013, James Whiteside has dazzled audiences with his technique, versatility and sexiness. But the Fairfield-raised artist’s creativity doesn’t stop there. In his alter-persona JbDubs, the 37-year-old is a pop music and video artist; as crazed news reporter Shannon Bobannon he’s a Twitter and Instagram hit; and as Ühu Betch, he’s a club-hopping dragster.

Now, with Center Center: A Funny, Sexy, Sad Almost-Memoir of a Boy in Ballet, he’s a published author, too. But this is an unorthodox memoir in form and in voice, dealing frankly about his family, lovers and growing up gay.

You were set to have one of your best seasons at ABT when the pandemic struck, so how has the isolating year-plus been for you?

I was in denial at first. I thought after a couple weeks things would be back to normal. But then it got to the point where I felt I had no control and I just had to accept that and there were parts of me that really enjoyed slowing down. I was also safe and healthy but I couldn’t do what I loved. At the same time it was just the way things were. You just get on with it.

But I haven’t been able to dance, really. I’ve been doing my ‘kitchen ballet classes’ but it’s really difficult to stay in condition. I was able to go to the gym a bunch of times, thankfully, but the ballet studios weren’t open.

How did the book project begin?

It wasn’t until an editor at Penguin wrote to me saying, ‘Can we have a meeting? I think you’re funny and you might have a voice that translates well to writing.’ I said I would love that, and that writing a book is something I’ve always wanted to do. I had the title already so I was ready to go. [The title refers to the center of a stage’s depth and width.]

The editor also asked me if I wanted to go solo or have a ghostwriter, and there is no world in which I want a ghostwriter. I want this to be my failure, if it’s a failure.

With drawings, essays about your pets and even a mini-play scattered among revealing stories, it’s certainly not your typical memoir.

I did not want it to be an esoteric ballet memoir but rather something fantastical, and extremely relatable with ……CONTINUED