Obituary: Leslie McBeth -Hamburg Ballett ballet mistress, Stuttgart Ballet Soloist, Neumeier stager

Leslie McBeth has passed away, Hamburg Ballet, where she was Ballet Mistress for more than 20 years, said on 14th August 2025.

The German company said in its Instagram post,

"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"."

After retiring from the stage, McBeth staged Neumeier works internationally with many 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 the Australian Ballet.

She was Ballet Mistress with Hamburg Ballett from 2003 to 2024, being an important teacher for the company principals and soloists, the company said.