Center Center: A Funny, Sexy, Sad Almost-Memoir of a Boy in Ballet

Multifaceted performer Whiteside (he’s at once principal dancer at American Ballet Theater, drag queen Ühu Betch, and musical act JbDubs) adds storyteller to his résumé with this collection of autobiographical essays. Whiteside’s writing teems with humor and pathos as he candidly recounts a New England adolescence in which he questioned his sexuality, worked hard to develop his ballet talent, and navigated difficult relationships with his parents. Now Whiteside is an out gay man who finds freedom expressing himself in creative endeavors outside of the heteronormative roles he dances in ballets. Some of his attempts at humor fall flat in this book, including an imagined encounter with Jesus on Grindr, but Whiteside hits his mark when writing about the relationships and experiences that have shaped his life.