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Leslie Browne: Master Ballet Teacher Extraordinaire

Charles Maple, Director of the Maple Conservatory of Dance

August 18, 2008

Last week, we had the honor of having Leslie Browne teach an advanced master class at the Maple Conservatory of Dance. Leslie was in Irvine teaching at the American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive Program and so I invited her to our ballet school to teach an open master class in which she could share her insights and passion with the dance students in our local community.

I have known Leslie for many years. I first met Leslie on the set of the 1977 movie The Turning Point that also starred Mikhail Baryshnikov. She was cast as the young ballerina whose character is loosely based on the story of her own family. As a result, she won an Academy nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Before the movie, at the age of 17, she had joined the corps of the New York City Ballet.

Leslie Browne, leading the master class at the Maple Conservatory

Leslie later moved on to American Ballet Theatre in 1976 as a soloist. At that point in time, I had been with ABT for three years. I still remember when she first arrived in the company. She was this new movie star, having just filmed The Turning Point and we were all mystified by her. Later in 1986, she was promoted to principal dancer at ABT.

While dancing for ABT, Leslie received critical acclaim for her performances in countless classical roles such as Gamzatti in Natalia Makarova's La Bayadere, as Juliet in the company premiere of Kenneth MacMillan's Romeo & Juliet, as Kitri in Mikhail Baryshnikov's Don Quixote, and as Clara in Baryshnikov's production of The Nutcracker — just to name a few.

She also danced principal roles in contemporary works such as Twyla Tharp's Push Comes to Shove, Anthony Tudor's Jardin aux Lilas and Pillar of Fire, and George Balanchine's La Sonnambula, Who Cares? and Stravinsky Violin Concerto.

Leslie also enjoyed a long & successful film, TV and Broadway career. She guest-starred in the classic television series Happy Days and on Broadway as Irina in the musical play Red Shoes.

Leslie demonstrating to the students in the master class

Leslie eventually retired from ABT in June 1993. I asked for her thoughts on her retirement and she replied, "Well, I left the company in '93, took a year off, then did guest appearances. I just did five years of guest appearances. Along with the guestings, I did three years of acting training. So I did a two-year course and a one-year course, and then I did a Broadway show, The Red Shoes. Later I did a play, then lots of auditions. I took singing lessons and all that. I just felt like I was really starting over and it was going to be a lot of work to get [an acting] career going. So, I gravitated back to dancing and began teaching."

Well, Leslie has become an amazing teacher and what's more, she really loves teaching. “My classes weed out the ones who are not training for a professional career,” she says. “Everyone I have — even if they are not talented — are all serious. They want to learn the technique. And that's what I look for in a student. I don't necessarily look for someone who is going to be the next prima ballerina, or get into ABT. But, if they really want to learn the real thing and are focused, they can take my class."

Leslie standing in the middle with her students

Leslie Browne, a wonderful teacher to all

Our wonderful pianist, Gary Khachikyan

And so, Leslie always gets right to it with her students. Her master class at the Maple Conservatory was beautifully constructed and was a kind of poetry. The students were involved in every nuance of her presentation and every point of her corrections. Leslie has a quick wit, a joy de vivre, and is an inspiration to all who have had the opportunity to work with her.

Thank you Leslie for sharing your love of dance with us!

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Charles A. Maple
Director, Maple Conservatory of Dance
Email: info@mapleconservatory.com