We recently connected with Leslie Augustine and have shared our conversation below.
Leslie , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
The most meaningful projective I’ve worked on is actually something pretty recent. I’ve been disappointed with the kinds of roles and auditions I’ve been given recently. Its been a challenge to really find projects that I connect with. So the beginning of this year I had the opportunity to produce and star in a short film that was created for me. My partner is a writer/director and wrote a horror/suspense film for me. I absolutely love suspense and horror films (I grew up on Alfred Hitchcock)! This was a wonderful challenge for me. Beyond creating the character, I also helped produce and cast the project. My goal is to eventually have my own production company with a crew of amazingly talented people, and this was the first step. From finding locations, to casting, to getting a crew, and filming, it’s been a wonderfully challenging experience! We are currently working with a composer and the film is almost finished. I loved having some control over what I was doing and loved the crew! I can’t wait to be able to share it and hopefully submit it to festivals.
Leslie , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Not only am I an actress, I am also a dancer. I’ve been dancing since I was 3 years old. I love dancing and choreographing. I trained in ballet and jazz on the east coast and danced in a ballet company as teenager. I also acted and did many plays. I graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and decided to make the move to Los Angeles so that I could work more in film. Now, I not only perform as a dancer and actress, but I also teach dance to all ages. I’m always eager to meet new clients and perform for events. I now also perform bellydance, burlesque, and also Bollywood dancing. What sets me apart is my style. I very much love the classic 1940s and 50s style of dancing. All, the glamour, elegance , and fun! But I also love the dark and creepy. In my world it can always be Halloween! Clients have so many options with me. They can choose something vintage in style, or something a little more neo-gothic. I’m also always open to collaborating! Now, with the strike going on , it’s been incredibly challenging. But it’s absolutely for a good reason and I hope we come out stronger than ever.
My next step is to keep moving forward in creating my own production company for film, as well as a professional dance company. I’d like to be a bicoastal performer and work more on the east coast as well as travel to Europe.
I hope future clients will be interested with what I have to offer. I’m a dancer, actress, choreographer, teacher. I absolutely love performing and my hope is to be able to make a good living doing it!
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I think, right now, this is a very crucial conversation to have. One of the reasons for the actors and writers strike is because of the use of AI in the arts. I think it’s important for society to support and understand that there is no substitute an artist. We need the arts in our lives, not a program. A program doesn’t live, breathe or understand the struggle of being a human. In order to keep all of the arts alive we need society’s support and patronage. We need people not only going to the movies or watching television, but also going to live performances, buying books, visiting museums. I’d love to have patronage. It’s quite an expense having yourself be your business. And there’s been a significant drop in support. I’d love for non-artists to actually try to understand what we go through to create. It’s an incredibly demanding profession. No, it’s not the same as being a doctor, or someone in a lifesaving field of work, but at the same time , the arts are very necessary for humans. What kind or people would we be without them? It’s away for people to connect.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I absolutely love performing and creating! It really, truly keeps me going. My goal is to help keep the arts alive, to also bring entertainment and joy to people. There’s nothing quite like seeing an audience enthralled with your performance or having someone say your character truly frightened them! It’s difficult to put into words the magic that happens when I am performing or the connection I feel when working with fellow artists. I want to create a company that helps like-minded artists thrive. To work together to continue creating new works. To be seen by a large audience and help not only myself , but others to succeed in their craft.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.LeslieAugustine.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/leslieaugustineofficial
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Leslie.Augustine
- Linkedin: LinkedIn.com/in/Leslie-Augustine-357926b
- Youtube: @leslieaugustine
- Other: Also follow my short film Beneath the Surface www.instagram.com/beneaththesurfacefilm
Image Credits
Saint Sinner Photography Daniel J Sliwa Media Argun Tekant Adrian Roup