With great sadness, we have learned of the passing of our dear former colleague, Leslie McBeth.
Leslie McBeth was a Ballet Mistress at the Hamburg Ballet from 2003 to 2024. She was a highly important teacher for the company's principals and soloists, and approached the staging and rehearsals of John Neumeier's ballets with the dancers with exceptional dedication and meticulous care.
Leslie McBeth was born in Oregon and raised in California, she received her most influential training at the School of American Ballet in New York. She began her dance career with the Sacramento Ballet and continued with the Ballet National de Marseille under the direction of Roland Petit. She danced with the Milwaukee Ballet, Arizona Ballet, Zurich Ballet, and Ballet du Nord. During her time as a Soloist with the Stuttgart Ballet, she performed in numerous ballets by John Neumeier, including "Lady of the Camellias".
Lloyd Riggins, Artistic Director of the Hamburg Ballet, is deeply saddened with the loss of one of Hamburg Ballet and the dance world's shining lights. "Leslie McBeth was a great teacher and coach whose absolute love of ballet shone in everything she did. Rehearsal directors are the "unsung heroes" of ballet companies, but we would like to honor her for her important contribution to our work and legacy. As a Ballet Mistress Leslie never forgot to think like a dancer, and could inspire a dancer to go beyond what they thought possible."
Alessandra Ferri, Director of the Vienna State Ballet, who had worked with Leslie on the role of Romola during the rehearsals for the performance of John Neumeier's "Nijinsky" in 2023, recalls her as "a passionate and deeply caring coach. She held the highest standards and inspired you to meet them, never letting you get away with less than your best. I worked closely with her, particularly during the preparation of the role of Romola. Leslie respected my take on the role, yet guided me with a truthful, honest, and uncompromising eye. I trusted her guidance completely and was looking forward to welcoming her to the Wiener Staatsballett as a guest."
Leslie McBeth, who was highly respected for her uncompromising loyalty to the choreographer's intentions, staged choreographies by John Neumeier for numerous companies, including the Bayerisches Staatsballett, San Francisco Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, and the Stanislavsky Ballet in Moscow and most recently the Australian Ballet.
Principal Anna Laudere, who shared many hours with Leslie in the ballet studio, says: "I want to thank Leslie from all my heart for loving me, for loving each dancer she worked with! True love, dedication and always caring deeply for art and artists! Dearest Leslie, thank you so much for everything and see you one day on the other side, when you can tell me over again to put my shoulders down! Love, your Anna"
John Neumeier remembers Leslie in these words: „When I think of Leslie Mcbeth I see first of all the dancer, full of energy, interest and enthusiasm that I worked with many years ago at the Stuttgart Ballet,who danced with great stage presenceand always "full-out" my ballet to the String Quartet of Franz Schubert. As a dancer, she was atotal artist – serious, sharp, full committed, and always interested in learning. Later, I engaged Leslie as a Ballet Mistress for the Hamburg Ballet and felt the same commitment as she understood and represented the unique spirit of the company.She taught the company with intelligence ,determination, but always a sense of humor. Most importantly, she saw every dancer as an individual artist. Because the work was so important for her, Leslie could be quite intense while coaching in rehearsal. One had the feeling she understood each ballet in its smallest detail, that the quality of a movement and what it meant was extremely important and she endeavoured always to communicate this to the dancers. I trusted Leslie with the teaching of my works for many companies around the world - a job she always accomplished with great skill, precision and diligence until the very end."
Leslie McBeth will be sorely missed by all, dancers and colleagues throughout the world. Thank you, Leslie, for your light!
