Ballet's James Whiteside is White Hot and Coming to a City Near You This Summer

James Whiteside, ballet's most daring principal artist known for his theatrical and technical versatility, will begin an extensive and varied summer tour, with seven appearances worldwide, after the close of the American Ballet Theatre's Metropolitan Opera House Season. Whiteside kicks off the summer at Fire Island Dance Festival, followed by an evening of self-choreographed work at Jacob's Pillow, performances at Joyce Theater with Gemma Bond, BALLETNOW, Vail Dance Festival and Ballet Sun Valley, and lastly a tour to Japan late summer to work with Tokyo Disney. Performances will showcase a variety of dance styles including classical ballet, contemporary ballet, modern, theater jazz and hip-hop.

Now in its 23rd season, the Fire Island Dance Festival, having nearly raised $5 million dollars on behalf of Dancers Responding to AIDS, will invite James to perform in a new work by musical theater chorographer Al Blackstone. How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore? premiering at the festival, July 15 and 16 and set to a soundscape by Prince, centers around a character portrait of a contemporary man, played by James, who has everything-money, power, sex appeal-and the disturbing truth about the lengths he will go to get what he wants.

The following week, James will produce and premiere 5 Dances on Jacob's Pillow Dance's "Inside/Out" stage, July 19. A collection of original works in varied styles that he has created over the last few years, Whiteside will perform with American Ballet Theatre soloist Cassandra Trenary, with narration by actor/show maker Jack Ferver. This program consists of Zero Hour, set to Vivaldi's classic "Winter" and originally co-choreographed by Whiteside and Melissa Hough; On the Water, a pas de deux to Schubert's "Auf Dem Wasser zu Singen"; and You Rascal You, a solo to Louis Armstrong's song of the same name and a murder mystery jazz dance; among other works.

On July 25 and 26, James will join Skylar Brandt, Tyler Maloney, Calvin Royal III, Gabe Stone Shayer, Devon Teuscher, and Cassandra Trenary on the Joyce Stage in the world premiere of Impressions, part of an evening with Gemma Bond. With costume design conceptualized and designed on the Joyce stage by James, the work explores the connection between everyday events and the aesthetics of ballet. Bond's choreography is a study in placing ballet in a less traditional setting-without scenery, without mime and gesture, but through pure dance that creates and inspires emotion and audience connection.

On July 28- 30, James will join guest curator Tiler Peck and an exciting roster of dance superstars for BALLETNOW, a 3-day dance series at The Music Center, in Los Angeles California. James will dance the pas de deux from both Romeo and Juliet and Rubies with American Ballet Theater principal Isabella Boylston and Lauren Cuthbertson, principal dancer at the Royal Ballet in London.

To round out the summer, Whiteside will take the stage at the Vail Dance Festival, August 4 and 5, and Ballet Sun Valley, August 22 and 24 under the direction of Isabella Boylston. There, James will reprise the Rubies pas de deux with Boylston, while also mounting his own You Rascal You. Finally, James will end his extensive calendar of appearances in Tokyo to both dance in and choreograph a specially arranged Beauty and the Beast excerpt, Tale as Old as Time for a Tokyo Disney's release of Beauty and the Beast.

James Whiteside Calendar Highlights:

July 15-16 - Fire Island Dance Festival, Fire Island: How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore? by Al Blackstone

July 19 - Jacob's Pillow Dance's Inside/Out, Becket, MA: James Whiteside Presents 5 Dances

July 25-26 - Joyce Theater, NYC: Impressions with Gemma Bond

July 28-30 - BALLETNOW, Los Angeles CA: Romeo and Juliet and Rubies Pas de Deux

August 4-5 - Vail Dance Festival, Vail, CO: International Evenings of Dance

August 22-24- Ballet Sun Valley, Sun Valley, ID: Romeo and Juliet pas de deux, You Rascal You

August Dates TBD - Tokyo Disney, Japan: Beauty and the Beast

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