Browne, Leslie (1958–)
Browne, Leslie (1958–)
American ballet dancer. Name variations: Leslie Brown. Born Leslie Brown, 1958, in New York, NY; raised in Phoenix, Arizona; goddau. of Herbert Ross (choreographer and film producer); dau. of Kelly Brown (1928–1981) and Isabel Mirrow (both dancers with American Ballet Theatre); sister of Kevin Kelly Brown (producer), Ethan Brown (dancer) and Elizabeth Laing (dancer); m. Leonide Slepak.
Trained at School of American Ballet after initial schooling from parents; joined corps of New York City Ballet as adolescent; was cast alongside Mikhail Baryshnikov as the young ballerina in The Turning Point, a film based loosely on the story of her family; danced roles for Ballet Theater in Baryshnikov's The Nutckracker and Antony Tudor's Jardin aux Lilas; promoted to principal dancer of American Ballet Theater (1976), where she danced until stage retirement (1993); has taught classes at numerous venues, including Brandywine Ballet in West Chester, PA, and Steps studio in New York City.