On August 20, pop goddess Lizzo tweeted, “Someone do a ballet routine to truth hurts pls,” referring to the anthem that’s been top on everyone’s playlists this summer. Lizzo might not know it yet, but ballet dancers are not known for shying away from a challenge. In the past two days, the internet has exploded […]

We’ve always known that Madonna loves dance. After all, the “Queen of Pop” studied at the Martha Graham School in the 1970s. Nevertheless, we were still surprised (and thrilled) to see that she invited James Whiteside to perform at her 61st birthday party in The Hamptons last weekend. The American Ballet Theatre principal performed the […]

Could the hottest new ticket in dance be at sea? While Virgin Voyages will offer immersive dance theater on its maiden ship the Scarlet Lady, Celebrity Cruises is bringing guests closer to the stars through a partnership with American Ballet Theatre. With these new ventures, Celebrity and Virgin will bring bespoke dance experiences to their […]

Say you’re perpetually impeccable designer Thom Browne. Say you’re planning your Spring 2020 Paris menswear show along a “Versailles country club” theme. Say you want a world-class danseur to open the show with some kind of appropriately fabulous choreography. Who do you call? James Whiteside, of course. On Saturday, the American Ballet Theatre principal—wearing pointe […]

Being coached by a treasure like former Kirov prima Irina Kolpakova is an experience most dancers only dream of. But company members at American Ballet Theatre have been the lucky beneficiaries of her wisdom since 1990. Thanks to Instagram, where pros like Gillian Murphy and James Whiteside share snippets of their sessions with Kolpakova, any […]

Story ballets that debut during American Ballet Theatre’s spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House are always the subject of much curiosity—and, sometimes, much debate. Cathy Marston’s Jane Eyre was no different. The ballet follows the eponymous heroine of Charlotte Brönte’s novel as she grows from a willful orphan to a self-possessed governess, charting her […]

American Ballet Theatre principal James Whiteside is known for more than just his uber-charismatic presence on the ballet stage; He doubles as both the drag queen Ühu Betch and the pop star JbDubs. Whiteside’s newest musical release, titled WTF, came out last week, and is for sure his most ballet-filled song to date. Both the […]

James Whiteside sometimes seems larger than life. He knows how to effortlessly command any room he’s in, whether he’s playing a noble prince onstage or appearing in fashion campaigns for designers like Marc Jacobs and Thom Browne. During a rare day off, Whiteside gave us a glimpse into a quieter side of his personality—which is […]