Leanne Cope
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Leanne Michelle Cope (born September 13, 1983) is an English ballet dancer and theatre actress. She achieved prominence as First Artist for
The Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded ...
, after training in the
Royal Ballet School The Royal Ballet School is a British school of classical ballet training founded in 1926 by the Anglo-Irish ballerina and choreographer Ninette de Valois. The school's aim is to train and educate outstanding classical ballet dancers, especially ...
and graduating in 2003. In 2015, she originated the role of Lise Dassin in the original Broadway production of ''
An American in Paris ''An American in Paris'' is a jazz-influenced symphonic poem (or tone poem) for orchestra by American composer George Gershwin first performed in 1928. It was inspired by the time that Gershwin had spent in Paris and evokes the sights and en ...
'', a role originated in film by
Leslie Caron Leslie Claire Margaret Caron (; born 1 July 1931) is a French and American actress and dancer. She is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award, two BAFTA Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards. Caron b ...
. She had previously played the role in the
Théâtre du Châtelet The Théâtre du Châtelet () is a theatre and opera house, located in the place du Châtelet in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. One of two theatres (the other being the Théâtre de la Ville) built on the site of a ''châtelet'', a ...
. Her performance was critically acclaimed, and Cope received both
Drama Desk The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...
and
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical.


Early life and education

Cope was born in
Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...
, and began dancing at the age of five. She first trained at The Dorothy Colebourn School of Dance before joining The Royal Ballet Lower School at the age of 11, and started taking ballet seriously at the age of 15.


Acting career

After graduating, Cope became a dancer for
The Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded ...
, and in 2009 she became First Artist of the company. The choreographer
Liam Scarlett Liam Scarlett (8 April 198616 April 2021) was a British choreographer who was an artist in residence with The Royal Ballet and artistic associate with Queensland Ballet. He also choreographed new works for Ballet Black, Miami City Ballet, No ...
called her "a presence on stage like no other". In 2014, while dancing in The Royal Ballet's ''
Swan Lake ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoje ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, links=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failu ...
'', Cope was spotted by
Christopher Wheeldon Christopher Peter Wheeldon (born 22 March 1973) is an English international choreographer of contemporary ballet. Early life Born in Yeovil, Somerset, to an engineer and a physical therapist, Wheeldon began training to be a ballet dancer at th ...
, who was looking for a leading actress for his stage version of the film ''
An American in Paris ''An American in Paris'' is a jazz-influenced symphonic poem (or tone poem) for orchestra by American composer George Gershwin first performed in 1928. It was inspired by the time that Gershwin had spent in Paris and evokes the sights and en ...
''. Having heard that Cope sang at school, Wheeldon asked her to sing for him. Cope sang " The Man I Love", and was cast in the role of Lise. While preparing for the role, she met with
Leslie Caron Leslie Claire Margaret Caron (; born 1 July 1931) is a French and American actress and dancer. She is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award, two BAFTA Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards. Caron b ...
, who originated the role of Lise in the 1951 film, to discuss the character. The show, also starring
Robert Fairchild Robbie Fairchild (born June 9, 1987) is an American dancer and actor. He is best known for originating the role Jerry Mulligan in the musical ''An American in Paris'', and as Munkustrap in the 2019 film ''Cats''. He was a principal dancer at th ...
as Jerry, opened on 12 April, and Cope received praise for her performance. In a review, David Rooney from ''The Hollywood Reporter'' wrote that Cope "has delicacy and charm; she's a confident singer, and while there's only a passing physical resemblance, her diminutive size and that chic French bob subtly recall Caron." In 2016, it was announced that ''An American in Paris'' will be heading to the West End, with both Fairchild and Cope reprising their roles. The musical began previews on 4 March 2017.


Awards and nominations


See also

*
List of British actors This list of notable actors from the United Kingdom includes performers in Theatre of the United Kingdom, theatre, Cinema of the United Kingdom, film, Television in the United Kingdom, television, and Radio in the United Kingdom, radio. Bo ...


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cope, Leanne Living people 21st-century British actresses 20th-century British ballet dancers 21st-century British ballet dancers British ballerinas British musical theatre actresses Dancers of The Royal Ballet Actors educated at the Royal Ballet School Actresses from Bath, Somerset 1983 births