The Stage Rightside with James Whiteside

About The Stage Rightside with James Whiteside

The Stage Rightside with James Whiteside is a podcast about the creative life—onstage and off. Principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre, writer, and choreographer James Whiteside shares behind-the-scenes conversations, solo reflections, and personal essays on art, career longevity, creativity, and identity. Episodes range from intimate monologues to candid interviews with dancers, artists, and friends, offering an honest look at the process behind the performance.

Publisher

James Whiteside

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

9 May 2016

Latest episode

24 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

24 of 55 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   24 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   54. Conversations on Retirement

   James Whiteside discusses his upcoming retirement from American Ballet Theatre and future plans in an interview with Michael Sean Breeden and Rebecca King Ferraro.

2. 

   4 Feb 2026TRANSCRIPT

   53. Management, Money, & the Long Game with Garen Scribner

   In this episode of The Stage Rightside, James sits down with longtime friend and manager Garen Scribner for a candid conversation about life after dancing, career pivots, and what it really takes to build a sustainable creative life. Garen shares his path from the stage to management and producing—through graduate school at Harvard, rejection, reinvention, and ultimately founding a practice built on long-term thinking and trust. Together, James and Garen unpack the difference between agents and managers, how artists can advocate for themselves, and why “success” doesn’t always look the way we’re told it should. They also talk honestly about James’s own crossroads as a principal dancer preparing for what comes next, the challenge of making time for choreography while still performing, and the freedom (and fear) of imagining a future beyond the stage. Plus: dance film, illegal documentaries, lemon trees, and why having the right people in your corner changes everything. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-stage-rightside-with-james-whiteside/donations (https://redcircle.com/the-stage-rightside-with-james-whiteside/donations) Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands (https://redcircle.com/brands) Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy (https://redcircle.com/privacy)

3. 

   29 Jan 2026TRANSCRIPT

   52. Your Son is Probably Gay (and other news)

   James Whiteside shares his Substack essay, explores reader responses, and discusses his literary agent's feedback on his new book, offering insights into the writing process.

Inside a recent episode

54. Conversations on Retirement

Published 24 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] You know, like I'm not thinking about necessarily just, you know, I'm not like, okay, I'm going to, I need to retire because everybody's gone and it's lonely when people leave. That's not it at all. I've made new friends. I have amazing, like new colleagues who inspire me every day and I love them and they're funny and they're weird and they're perfect. But, um, I'm ready. It's just very simple, honestly. My body is ready. My body is ready. And I have experienced so much in my professional career. It's 25 years of professional dancing. And I feel so good about that. 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? […]

Who has been a guest on The Stage Rightside with James Whiteside

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Michael Sean Breeden
• Rebecca King Ferraro
• Cassandra Trenary
• Catherine Hurlin
• Reid Bartelme

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.9 / 5

127 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

26 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 31 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

35

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

67

Contact The Stage Rightside with James Whiteside

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Shows with a similar audience

• 

  Conversations on Dance

• 

  City Ballet The Podcast

• 

  Dance And Stuff

• 

  Pop Culture Happy Hour

• 

  Ghost of a Podcast: Astrology & Advice with Jessica Lanyadoo

• 

  Seek Treatment with Cat & Pat

Questions about The Stage Rightside with James Whiteside