Join us for a hybrid in-person/virtual event with ballet dancer, choreographer, and artist James Whiteside for the launch is his new book Center Center: A Funny, Sexy, Sad Almost-Memoir of a Boy in Ballet. Joining James in conversation will be award-winning ballet dancer Isabella Boylston. This even is co-presented with the American Ballet Theater.

The event will be held in the Strand's 3rd floor Rare Book Room at our store at 828 Broadway at 12th Street, and be live streamed on Zoom.

Can’t make the event? Purchase a copy of Center Center here.

First 150 book purchases will be signed by the author.

STRAND IN-PERSON EVENT COVID-19 POLICY:

In-person events will be presented to a fully vaccinated audience. All patrons over the age of sixteen will be required to show proof* of having completed the COVID-19 vaccination series at least 14 days prior to the date of the event. New York State has now clarified that a child up to the age of 16 who is unvaccinated and accompanied by a vaccinated adult may, in fact, attend events that otherwise are open only to people who are vaccinated. In such an event, the child will not need to be socially distanced, but they will need to wear masks at all times while attending the event.

*Proof of vaccination will be defined as either an original vaccination card (no photos!) or an Excelsior Pass. We will be checking to ensure compliance with the 14 day waiting period post-vaccination.

For contact tracing purposes, buyers must submit the following information at checkout for each attendee in the attending pod: Full Name, Address, Date of Birth, Email Address, and Phone Number. Registration will be required online. No tickets for entry will be sold at the door.

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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 Ühu 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.

James Whiteside (alter egos JbDubs and Uhu Betch) is a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre, a pop star, and a member of the NYC-based drag posse the Dairy Queens, which also includes RuPaul's Drag Race alum Milk. He has choreographed for music videos, commercials, film, and ballet, and in 2018, he starred in Arthur Pita's dance/theater work The Tenant at The Joyce Theater in New York City. Whiteside also hosts his own popular podcast, The Stage Rightside with James Whiteside. His song and music video "I Hate My Job" has been featured in The New York Times, Huffington Post, MTV, Billboard, and more.

Isabella Boylston was born in Sun Valley, Idaho. She began dancing at the age of three. In 2001 she won the gold medal at the Youth America Grand Prix Finals in New York City. In 2002, she began training at the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida, on a full scholarship.

Boylston joined the ABT Studio Company in 2005. She was promoted to Soloist in 2011 and to Principal Dancer in 2014. She has danced leading roles in nearly all the classics as well as works by Alexei Ratmansky and George Balanchine.

Boylston won the 2009 Princess Grace Award and was nominated for the 2010 Prix Benois de la Danse. In 2011 she received the Clive Barnes Award. She was the recipient of the 2014 Annenberg Fellowship. She has appeared as a guest star in numerous international ballet companies.

Boylston has also transcended onto the big screen, starring in Francis Lawrence’s film Red Sparrow alongside Jennifer Lawrence. She has recently teamed up with pop singer Rozzi by starring in the music video for her hit song Mad Man, as well as collaborating on a show titled When I Think of You, which premiered in early 2019 at The Argyos Performing Arts Center in Ketchum, Idaho. She has appeared in campaigns for Nike, Cartier, and Allbirds, among others.

American Ballet Theater is one of the greatest dance companies in the world. Revered as a national treasure since its founding season in 1940, its mission is to create, present, preserve, and extend the great repertoire of classical dancing for the widest possible audience. Headquartered in New York City, ABT is the only cultural institution of its size and stature to extensively tour, enchanting audiences for eight decades in 50 US states, 45 countries, and over 480 cities worldwide. ABT’s repertoire includes full-length classics from the nineteenth century, the finest works from the early twentieth century, and acclaimed contemporary masterpieces. In 2006, by an act of Congress, ABT became America’s National Ballet Company®. Find out more at ABT.org and follow ABT dancers at @abtofficial on Instagram, on Twitter at @ABTBallet, and on Facebook at @AmericanBalletTheatre.