The Artistic Director and Creator of The Flaming Dames burlesque & dance troupe, Leslie's training in live performance, dance and theater began in the Detroit area garnering her over 30 years of professional dance, theatrical and choreography experience... (yes, she's older than she looks, and she won't argue with you if you choose to believe that she's in her early to mid-20s).  She has trained with Harriet's Dance in Livonia Michigan and Robert Lee Dance in Garden City, MI.  Along with being the proud recipient of various regional and national dance awards and titles from such dance competitions as Dance Masters of America, Encore Dance Association as well as Tremaine Dance, Leslie has had the distinct honor to be mentored and trained by some of the best Choreographers and dancers in the Midwest including Central City Dance & Performing Arts Studio Owner Tamara Nastev-Smola, Detroit City Ballet & Down River Civic Ballet Director (the late) Miss Enid Ricardeau, as well as Certified Jazz Master Choreographer Barry Douglas.  Leslie began professionally choreographing at the age of 17 for Detroit area dance studios and professional regional theaters including The Gem Theater of Detroit, Scoolcraft Players as well as The Dearborn Players Guild where she received a Dearborn Page Award in 1992 for her work in "Hair".  Though Leslie's youth and early years in show business took up most of her life, (did she mention that she was also a "pageant kid"...yep, it's true.  Her love for all things glittery and glamorous started waaaaay back when she won her first pageant title as "Livonia Michigan's Ideal Miss", feel free to make fun...but she learned early on how to "work it"), somewhere in there, she also found time to move to Chicago to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in Professional Photography with a minor in Media & Marketing, and amongst all of this, she still managed to sneak out of her parents house at inappropriate times to attend rock shows.  To this day when she attends a Crue or Ozzy concert, she still feels like she's doing something bad and at any moment, she could get caught.  How thrilling.  It makes sense then, that the work she's done in creating The Flaming Dames solidly displays her love of all things feminine and sexy with a hard twist of rock and roll glamour and baddassery thrown in.  

Some of Leslie's early show biz work in Chicago led her to act, choreograph and/or direct for theaters such as Speaking Ring Theater Company, New Millennium Theater Company, Homegrown Theater Company and Blindfaith Theater Company.  It was her work with New Millennium however, that led to her creation of The Flaming Dames, which can now be described as one of the longest lasting, most polished group dancing, and only Rock & Roll burlesque troupe in Chicago.  Leslie has written, produced and directed over 15 original scripts for The Flaming Dames since their inception in 2001, and is proud of their most recent title as the first runner up in The Chicago Reader's "Best Of" 2010, reader's poll.  She takes pride in the fact that in 2001, The Flaming Dames were simply a group of close knit women, that took one of her dance classes, and that today has turned into a group of Burlesque beauties that have performed their very own, unique brand of burlesque all over Chicago and The Midwest.  The Flaming Dames is one of Leslie's proudest creative and business accomplishments.  The Dames have had the pleasure of  performing for some high profile clients such as Motley Crue's "Cruefest" Charities, Screen Magazine, Canadian Club Whiskey, Camel Cigarettes, The Palmer House Hilton, The Tura Satana Festival for The Tattoo Factory, Three Olives Vodka, Naked Winery, and have been a featured act at Flashback Horror Weekend & Convention for the past 6 years.  The Dames have also been featured in and on such media outlets as The Chicago Reader, Metromix, Buzz Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Sun Times, Windy City Times, to name only a few.

A proponent for "getting off your ass and creating it yourself", Leslie strives to create an environment within The Flaming Dames organization for her girls (and guys) to grow both creatively and professionally and is constantly challenging her crew with new ideas both in business and on stage, and is constantly requiring them (and herself) to always push the envelope, to move forward and to take risks.  In taking a cue from the mentors of her past, Leslie enjoys seeing the men and women that work for The Flaming Dames flourish both on and off stage, and she is dedicated to inspiring and mentoring them at all costs to see exactly what great things they can all accomplish next.  She looks forward to attacking the future path of The Flaming Dames with her current crew of performers and business people, and her only plan...is to kick some ass.