The Stage Rightside with James Whiteside
Sep 24, 2026 · 31 min · 13 segments
I join my friends from Conversations on Dance, Michael Sean Breeden and Rebecca King Ferraro, to discuss my retirement from American Ballet Theatre next summer, as well as my plans for the future…
James WhitesideHostMichael Sean BreedenHostRebecca King FerraroHostWhat do you think some of the biggest changes from your first day in BB2 to the present at ABT as a principal have been? Hmm.
In myself or in ballet? I was thinking in the industry, but also in yourself.
And I really celebrate the way we have grown and the way we've learned to treat one another.
I had, when I started in a ballet company, I was 18 years old, and I actually wasn't really ready as a ballet dancer.
I see young people that join the company through ABT Studio Company and all of that.
I don't know, it makes me feel a little sad in a weird way because I'm like, oh, something that I found really interesting about myself is the growth process because I was so, so rough around all the edges and continue to be in some ways.
And then when I joined ABT and switched up the repertoire completely, I got to learn a whole other move set.
And that has been so rewarding to see my own journey to being an acceptable principal dancer.
I think I want to talk to you a little bit about how you, not only are you a wonderful dancer and a wonderful person, but I think you've done a really amazing job of being one of the first trailblazers to use social media and the internet to really not only promote the ballet as a whole, promote the company, and that must make you also feel good about a career transition that you have this name out there and that you can kind of use that in the future as you should.
I'm simultaneously really proud of the way I put myself out there and completely embarrassed.
What do you think some of the biggest changes from your first day in BB2 to the present at ABT as a principal have been? Hmm.
In myself or in ballet? I was thinking in the industry, but also in yourself.
And I really celebrate the way we have grown and the way we've learned to treat one another.
I had, when I started in a ballet company, I was 18 years old, and I actually wasn't really ready as a ballet dancer.
I see young people that join the company through ABT Studio Company and all of that.
I don't know, it makes me feel a little sad in a weird way because I'm like, oh, something that I found really interesting about myself is the growth process because I was so, so rough around all the edges and continue to be in some ways.
And then when I joined ABT and switched up the repertoire completely, I got to learn a whole other move set.
And that has been so rewarding to see my own journey to being an acceptable principal dancer.
I think I want to talk to you a little bit about how you, not only are you a wonderful dancer and a wonderful person, but I think you've done a really amazing job of being one of the first trailblazers to use social media and the internet to really not only promote the ballet as a whole, promote the company, and that must make you also feel good about a career transition that you have this name out there and that you can kind of use that in the future as you should.
I'm simultaneously really proud of the way I put myself out there and completely embarrassed.
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