(511) James Whiteside announces retirement from American Ballet Theatre and tells us what's next

Access upcoming BONUS episodes plus listen ad-free when you join our Patreon page. Membership starts as low as $3 a month and every dollar helps support the future of the podcast. Thank you for your support. https://www.patreon.com/cw/conversationsondanceHosts Rebecca King Ferraro and Michael Sean Breeden welcome American Ballet Theatre principal dancer James Whiteside, who announces he will retire from the ABT stage on June 30, 2027, dancing Giselle with Isabella Boylston at the Metropolitan Opera House.Whiteside explains the decision felt simple after 25 professional years, post-COVID recovery and a knee injury, and seeing peers retire, while emphasizing he values new colleagues and feels his body is ready. He reflects on industry changes, his growth as a dancer, and his early social media trailblazing that supported queerness in ballet and created income beyond the company, though he’s largely stepping away from being an influencer.He discusses future plans in choreography and writing, including a new Indiana University work inspired by George Platt Lynes and Debussy titled Stone Blossom, upcoming premieres, a restaging of City of Women, and his ABT fall performances including Ballet Imperial, Petal, and Petite Mort, plus final California Nutcracker shows.Conversations on Dance was the recipient of the 2024 Clive Barnes Award for Journalism and Media Achievement.Access bonus episodes on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/conversationsondanceWebsite: conversationsondancepod.comJoin our email list: https://conversations-on-dance.kit.com/7f73880f5bInstagram: instagram.com/conversationsondance Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.