Center Center: A Funny, Sexy, Sad Almost-Memoir of a Boy in Ballet
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- Create Date：2022-08-08 14:16:36
- Update Date：2025-09-24
- Status：finish
- Author：James Whiteside
- ISBN：0593297857
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Summary
"James Whiteside is an electrifying performer， an incredible athlete， and an artist， through and through。 To know James is to love him; with Center Center， you are about to fall in love。" --Jennifer Garner
"A frank examination and celebration of queerness。"
--Good Morning America
A daring， joyous， and inspiring memoir-in-essays from the American Ballet Theatre principal dancer-slash-drag queen-slash-pop star who's redefining what it means to be a man in ballet
There's a mark on every stage around the world that signifies the center of its depth and width， called center center。 James Whiteside has dreamed of standing on that very mark as a principal dancer with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre ever since he was a twelve-year-old blown away by watching the company's spring gala。 The GLAMOUR。 The VIRTUOSITY。 The RIPPED MEN IN TIGHTS！
In this absurd and absurdist collection of essays， Whiteside tells us the story of how he got to be a primo ballerino--stopping along the way to muse about the tragically fated childhood pets who taught him how to feel， reminisce on ill-advised partying at summer dance camps， and imagine fantastical run-ins with Jesus on Grindr。 Also in these pages are tales of the two alter egos he created to subvert the strict classical rigor of ballet: JbDubs， an out-and-proud pop musician， and �hu Betch， an over-the-top drag queen named after Yoohoo chocolate milk。
Center Center is an exuberant behind-the-scenes tour of Whiteside's triple life， both on- and offstage--a raunchy， curious， and unapologetic celebration of queerness， self-expression， friendship， sex， creativity， and pushing boundaries that will entertain you， shock you*， inspire you， embolden you 。 。 。 and maybe even make you cry。
*THIS IS NOT A BOOK FOR CHILDREN。
"A frank examination and celebration of queerness。"
--Good Morning America
A daring， joyous， and inspiring memoir-in-essays from the American Ballet Theatre principal dancer-slash-drag queen-slash-pop star who's redefining what it means to be a man in ballet
There's a mark on every stage around the world that signifies the center of its depth and width， called center center。 James Whiteside has dreamed of standing on that very mark as a principal dancer with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre ever since he was a twelve-year-old blown away by watching the company's spring gala。 The GLAMOUR。 The VIRTUOSITY。 The RIPPED MEN IN TIGHTS！
In this absurd and absurdist collection of essays， Whiteside tells us the story of how he got to be a primo ballerino--stopping along the way to muse about the tragically fated childhood pets who taught him how to feel， reminisce on ill-advised partying at summer dance camps， and imagine fantastical run-ins with Jesus on Grindr。 Also in these pages are tales of the two alter egos he created to subvert the strict classical rigor of ballet: JbDubs， an out-and-proud pop musician， and �hu Betch， an over-the-top drag queen named after Yoohoo chocolate milk。
Center Center is an exuberant behind-the-scenes tour of Whiteside's triple life， both on- and offstage--a raunchy， curious， and unapologetic celebration of queerness， self-expression， friendship， sex， creativity， and pushing boundaries that will entertain you， shock you*， inspire you， embolden you 。 。 。 and maybe even make you cry。
*THIS IS NOT A BOOK FOR CHILDREN。
Reviews
Allyson
，
This book isn't what I anticipated。 Like many other reviewers have mentioned- where is the ballet？ As a super ballet fan， I picked up this book because I was excited to read about his journey to the upper ranks of a major American ballet company。 Instead， this book really feels like it's about examining his childhood and sexuality。 I appreciate his vulnerability at times during the book as I imagine sharing a lot of these experiences felt therapeutic for him。 The sharing of his professional ball This book isn't what I anticipated。 Like many other reviewers have mentioned- where is the ballet？ As a super ballet fan， I picked up this book because I was excited to read about his journey to the upper ranks of a major American ballet company。 Instead， this book really feels like it's about examining his childhood and sexuality。 I appreciate his vulnerability at times during the book as I imagine sharing a lot of these experiences felt therapeutic for him。 The sharing of his professional ballet experiences are slim and left me feeling like this book was a missed opportunity， particularly for topics like toxic masculinity in classical ballet which he very briefly addresses。 。。。more
Annie Oosterwyk
，
Loved reading this memoir！ So much more honest than I could ever be。
Darcysmom
，
Such an enjoyable book。 I love watching James Whiteside dance， and now he has moved into the small group of people I would like to sit down and share a cup of coffee with。
Kate
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I’d recommend borrowing this book from the library， instead of buying it and then feeling pressure to finish it to justify the purchase （which I did）。 Perhaps my expectations were unrealistic， but I thought that this memoir isn’t as funny as the publisher’s hype implied。 It read to me as more of a compilation of stories from a person’s life that are intimate enough that they’re probably best shared with close friends and/or family members （or even clinicians who need to know the person’s medical I’d recommend borrowing this book from the library， instead of buying it and then feeling pressure to finish it to justify the purchase （which I did）。 Perhaps my expectations were unrealistic， but I thought that this memoir isn’t as funny as the publisher’s hype implied。 It read to me as more of a compilation of stories from a person’s life that are intimate enough that they’re probably best shared with close friends and/or family members （or even clinicians who need to know the person’s medical history）—but not necessarily any person in the globe who can access the book。 Basically， I thought it was TMI overall。 I even write this review both as （1） a fan of ballet， American Ballet Theatre， James Whiteside’s dancing and social media personas， as well as （2） a Fairfield County， Connecticut native who’s not much younger than James。That said， the book still has numerous insightful passages about James’s life experiences， both personal （about both himself and his family） and professional—I wish there were more of them in the book。 Part of me wonders whether James hid them among the many TMI anecdotes because such passages are so shocking or emotionally vulnerable that they were harder to write than going into detail about one’s dating and sexual history。Probably the most poignant part of the book was the passage that was as follows:SPOILER ALERT。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。“As American Ballet Theatre’s spring season drew nearer， so did my mother’s death。 I felt its presence looming over me in every rehearsal。 The guilt I felt being away from Connecticut and feeling as though I was neglecting my dying mother weighed heavily on every bit of my being。 Pete and Missy [two of James’s siblings] always bore the brunt of Nancy’s [James’s mom] needs—logistical， financial， emotional—while I donned sparkly outfits and fought for applause。 I felt the frivolity of my work like never before， and at the same time reveled in it and its ability to shake me out of my self-pity。 Art feels like complete nonsense until you realize how much you need it， how it gives you the tools to survive in this world。” 。。。more
Riley
，
Good but nothing earth shattering。 Whiteside doesn't shy away from the nitty gritty parts of life， which I appreciate， but the book didn't particularily speak to me。 Good but nothing earth shattering。 Whiteside doesn't shy away from the nitty gritty parts of life， which I appreciate， but the book didn't particularily speak to me。 。。。more
Michele M Tobias
，
Not At All What I ExpectedWow！ This book was revealing in many more ways than I expected。 It was incredibly open and candid。 There was a bigger focus on relationships outside of the studio， but that's the reality of a dancers life。 It's not all dancing。 Would recommend。 Not At All What I ExpectedWow！ This book was revealing in many more ways than I expected。 It was incredibly open and candid。 There was a bigger focus on relationships outside of the studio， but that's the reality of a dancers life。 It's not all dancing。 Would recommend。 。。。more
Alyssa
，
I LOVED this book。 Numerous time I found myself cracking up， laughing out loud， and then stumbling into the next part which left me in tears。 This book was just so real。 It was a refreshing read， honest， raw， painful at times but ultimately hopeful and inspiring。 James Whiteside is a delight and I am so happy to have had this sliver of insight into his life！
JT
，
A hilarious， gay， down to earth， coming of age story with some seriously noteworthy one-liners。 Reading the comments I could understand how ballet enthusiasts， aficionados and professionals might be disappointed with how little ballet made presence throughout the essays。 However， I began reading the book having recently met James as my close friend’s boyfriend wanting simply to just know more about him。 The book perfectly encapsulates James’ personality: humble， witty， entertaining， insightful a A hilarious， gay， down to earth， coming of age story with some seriously noteworthy one-liners。 Reading the comments I could understand how ballet enthusiasts， aficionados and professionals might be disappointed with how little ballet made presence throughout the essays。 However， I began reading the book having recently met James as my close friend’s boyfriend wanting simply to just know more about him。 The book perfectly encapsulates James’ personality: humble， witty， entertaining， insightful and unapologetic。 I loved learning about his family background， teen and college mistakes/experiences/traumas/triumphs。 If you’re looking for a good， millennial gay coming of age story - you’ll love Center， Center。 。。。more
Courtney
，
This book is appropriately summed up by the cover: funny， sexy， sad， and I’ll add sparkly and colorful。 I really enjoyed this。 Whiteside has a way of writing that just draws you in immediately， like talking to your best friend on a couch eating a bowl of Doritos。 He’s conversational and engaging， and I found myself laughing way more than I cried （or cringed）。 I actually won this book last year in a contest on Bookstagram， so I honestly went in blind。 I was familiar with James’ career in ballet （ This book is appropriately summed up by the cover: funny， sexy， sad， and I’ll add sparkly and colorful。 I really enjoyed this。 Whiteside has a way of writing that just draws you in immediately， like talking to your best friend on a couch eating a bowl of Doritos。 He’s conversational and engaging， and I found myself laughing way more than I cried （or cringed）。 I actually won this book last year in a contest on Bookstagram， so I honestly went in blind。 I was familiar with James’ career in ballet （and was aware of his music without knowing it）， but I would not have called myself an expert or a super fan。 I walked away from this book feeling like he and I are friends and spent some time watching YouTube videos of performances and interviews he’s given。 His dancing and choreography are just breathtaking and beautiful。 Back to the book！ It’s the type of memoir I think would translate really well to audio， as long as you don’t have sensitive ears in the group （little kids or your stodgy grandma）。 The content can be - shall we say- a little saucy。 Arguably， that’s what makes it entertaining。 Despite not being a gay man in the art/dancing industry myself， I still found myself identifying with some of his stories。 I also appreciated his own self-reflection about past wrongs in his life。 He doesn’t hide from the painful。 All in all， I really enjoyed this and am sorry I waited so long to read it。 Plus， isn’t that cover just GORGEOUS？！？！？！ 。。。more
Franny
，
When I saw a review that the book was not in chronological order I worried I wouldn't follow along。 but OH MAN does James bring you into his world。 He honors everyone who has gotten him to be the ballet star and beloved icon he is today。His humor has you giggling and his life events describe his bold personality most of us only know thru instagram or various interviews， or if we're lucky enough - on stage。 I loved every chapter。 while it is not in chronological order the chapter about his pets a When I saw a review that the book was not in chronological order I worried I wouldn't follow along。 but OH MAN does James bring you into his world。 He honors everyone who has gotten him to be the ballet star and beloved icon he is today。His humor has you giggling and his life events describe his bold personality most of us only know thru instagram or various interviews， or if we're lucky enough - on stage。 I loved every chapter。 while it is not in chronological order the chapter about his pets and another about his mother puts it all into perspective。i loved that it wasn't about ballet - like it was a background thing happening throughout most of the autobiography。 it wasn't a step-by-step "this is how I become amazing at ballet"， it was a book about humanity and how he became to be the James he is today。 I procrastinated reading the last 2 pages for a few weeks in fear I would cry that it was over but the last words brought a sense of peace to my heart and mind。 。。。more
Holly Wirth
，
Not what I was expecting。 I expected more "dance" and less "memoir。" James is an engaging storyteller and， gosh， does he have some stories to tell。 Not what I was expecting。 I expected more "dance" and less "memoir。" James is an engaging storyteller and， gosh， does he have some stories to tell。 。。。more
Laura Fleitas Bóveda
，
One of the review says that you will fall in love with him after reading his book。 Honestly， I kind of dislike him after reading his book。 A narcissist privileged white boy telling us how he mistreated friends， boyfriends and animals。 The first chapters of the book are entertaining but then you learn more about him and it just reveals what kind of person he is and it's not interesting anymore， not for me。 He tells awful stories about how he-and his family - treated animals and no， trying to be f One of the review says that you will fall in love with him after reading his book。 Honestly， I kind of dislike him after reading his book。 A narcissist privileged white boy telling us how he mistreated friends， boyfriends and animals。 The first chapters of the book are entertaining but then you learn more about him and it just reveals what kind of person he is and it's not interesting anymore， not for me。 He tells awful stories about how he-and his family - treated animals and no， trying to be funny doesn't make it better。 Being sorry now doesn't make it better either。 I feel like he's trying to justify all the time， that all those behaviors he had with his friends and pets where just because he was immature。 I just think it says a lot about who he really is。 I might be wrong， but it's the impression I got 。。。more
Annaliese
，
Chaotic and unexpected， just like James' internet presence。 I really liked understanding his life more， even if the stores themselves were a little scattered， rambling， or repetitive at times。 Overall， 3。5 for me！ Chaotic and unexpected， just like James' internet presence。 I really liked understanding his life more， even if the stores themselves were a little scattered， rambling， or repetitive at times。 Overall， 3。5 for me！ 。。。more
Rick Westerkamp
，
This book is a great soft-serve swirl of a decadent fun book and a mirror of life as a closeted gay male dancer。 I love James as a dancer and a social media presence， and this book lives up to the picture in my head。 Diverting and real in alternating chapters。 Big fan。
Lexi （Reads and Riesling）
，
DNF @26%I’m so confused。 There’s so much back and forth with little to no transition。 I don’t get it。 I wanted to enjoy it and I’m sure there will be people who can follow the chaos of the storytelling， but for me， I don’t want to work that hard to understand what the story is。
Elizabeth Higgins
，
Was this the best thing I've ever read？ No。Did I have fun and read the whole thing in one day？ Yes。 Was this the best thing I've ever read？ No。Did I have fun and read the whole thing in one day？ Yes。 。。。more
Cynthia
，
At 60something I am new to ballet and this popped up so I followed James on IG and decided I to read the book。 The beginning of the story is a delight following him through the early stages of life and his lore than interesting upbringing。 After that the memoir lost interest for me。 I wanted more ballet than antics later in the book。 Still it’s an intriguing tale and James is so talented。 Hope to see him dance someday。
alana
，
Whew， that last one was a raunchy ride。 And yikes that pet chapter was hard。 But the airport delay pussycat dolls musical was fairly fabulous。
Heather
，
2。5
pianogal
，
This book isn't bad， it just isn't what it sold itself as。 I wanted a book about ballet。 What I got was a short essay to start about the author's ballet career and then loads about his dysfunctional family and his sexual exploits。 Which - ok， but then don't sell it to me as a boy in ballet。 Also in a weird coincidence， the author dated the drag queen Milk - who happened to be on DragRace AllStars #3 while I was reading this。 Interesting juxtaposition。 Wanted to like this one more than I did。 :（ This book isn't bad， it just isn't what it sold itself as。 I wanted a book about ballet。 What I got was a short essay to start about the author's ballet career and then loads about his dysfunctional family and his sexual exploits。 Which - ok， but then don't sell it to me as a boy in ballet。 Also in a weird coincidence， the author dated the drag queen Milk - who happened to be on DragRace AllStars #3 while I was reading this。 Interesting juxtaposition。 Wanted to like this one more than I did。 :（ 。。。more
Mary
，
I love ballet and I love James！ R rated book tho- :）
Marcel
，
bad
Alison Beach
，
A fun look into an interesting "how did I get there" life。 A fun look into an interesting "how did I get there" life。 。。。more
Meg
，
James Whiteside is a super talented and versatile performer。 That talent did not translate to his writing。 This book was hard to get through， mainly because of his prose。 Just not good writing， which is unfortunate - he has lived an interesting life。 I definitely would not recommend this book if you are hoping for a memoir of his life in dance - that part of his life appears as an after thought in this book。 That's another reason I didn't like it - I love me a good dance memoir！ This book is not James Whiteside is a super talented and versatile performer。 That talent did not translate to his writing。 This book was hard to get through， mainly because of his prose。 Just not good writing， which is unfortunate - he has lived an interesting life。 I definitely would not recommend this book if you are hoping for a memoir of his life in dance - that part of his life appears as an after thought in this book。 That's another reason I didn't like it - I love me a good dance memoir！ This book is not that。 If you want to read about the life of a self-proclaimed cisgender gay man， you may find his stories interesting and provocative。 But， you'll also need to deal with lots of tangents， unnecessary details， and inside jokes。 So。。。。 there ya go。 。。。more
Max
，
I don't always mind very chaotic essays and memoirs， but this one just wasn't for me。 Colorful but a bit aimless。 I don't always mind very chaotic essays and memoirs， but this one just wasn't for me。 Colorful but a bit aimless。 。。。more
Julie
，
Perhaps I'm just not the correct audience for this "memoir" but I was completely turned off by the multiple stories of animal abuse and euthanizing animals simply because they were inconvenient as they were improperly cared for。 I don't care how wonderful you are at dancing。 Perhaps I'm just not the correct audience for this "memoir" but I was completely turned off by the multiple stories of animal abuse and euthanizing animals simply because they were inconvenient as they were improperly cared for。 I don't care how wonderful you are at dancing。 。。。more
Alma
，
For any ballet fans hoping to read ballet stories， it's going to disappoint。 You'll find some good humor and some interesting stories as he does seem to be quite a character and an intelligent person。 The chapter on all the pets was completely unnecessary though。。。 For any ballet fans hoping to read ballet stories， it's going to disappoint。 You'll find some good humor and some interesting stories as he does seem to be quite a character and an intelligent person。 The chapter on all the pets was completely unnecessary though。。。 。。。more
Yolanda
，
I really enjoyed Center Center。 I loved the chapter Nancy。 I thought it was a beautiful tribute to one's relationship with parents 。 I really enjoyed Center Center。 I loved the chapter Nancy。 I thought it was a beautiful tribute to one's relationship with parents 。 。。。more
Shane Bosher
，
Absolutely excruciating。 I was justly punished for judging the book by its cover。 The ramblings of a snarky， privileged narcissist， it’s neither amusing or enlightening。 The narrative meanders about， jumping from first to third person for no reason。 I came out of this experience just feeling sorry for the editor。 Tough gig。
Keva
，