Leslie is a passionate, tenacious and caring teacher. She sets the bar high while meeting students “where they are” in their own dance journey. She has coached professionals as well as taught creative dance to 3 yr olds. She has taught at the professional, college, k-12 and Pre-K levels. She has worked as a teaching fellow, adjunct and lecturer in higher education. She has also been the director of a k-12 dance department, co-director of a high dance program and taught at many private studios.

Because of Leslie’s diverse dance career and education, she has the ability to teach many genres of dance including Jazz, ballet, modern, contemporary, musical theatre, hip-hop and tap. She has also taught dance academics including dance history, choreography and anatomy. The students she has taught and mentored have graduated from Juilliard, Tish NYU, Fordham, Boston Conservatory, USC and the University of Utah and her students can be seen performing in the Martha Graham Company, LA Dance Project and numerous musicals and theatrical productions.

Leslie holds both a BFA in Dance from The University of Massachusetts, Amherst and an MFA in Dance at Smith College, which she attended on a teaching fellowship. Most recently she received her pre-ballet to level 3 American Ballet Theatre National Ballet Curriculum Certification as well as her National Pilates Teaching Certification. Her past and current professional and academic work keeps Leslie current as a teacher and choreographer as well as helps her stay informed about the future of dance. This perspective of having both a deep historical knowledge and the ability to stay professionally current has led her to create successful dance departments, classes and dancers. Leslie’s goal as an educator has always been not only to make students better dancers, but to develop them into strong, confidant and capable humans in a creative environment that is supportive and safe.