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2018 "FOCUS ON YOUTH":
FEATURED ARTIST


Dancer:
Leslie Merced

Plainfield, NJ
~~~

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Leslie Merced is a Plainfield, New Jersey native. She began dance when she was two and a half years old, studying tap, jazz, ballet and lyrical. As she grew, she continued studying many different genres of dance. She attended high school at Union County Academy for Performing Arts from 2012 to 2016. She was inducted into the National Honor Society for Dance Arts (NHSDA) during her junior year. Leslie also was involved in New York University's Future Dancers and Dancemakers program for two years and attended the Rutgers University Summer Intensive Conservatory for Dance in the summer of 2015. She was awarded the Governor’s Award in Arts Education during her senior year. Leslie studied at the Institute of the Arts Barcelona located in Sitges, Spain where she performed in the dance festival, Bailar Al Sol created by Andrea Kramer.
 
Leslie has worked with a variety of artists such as Carolyn Dorfman, John Evans, Melanie Gambino, Deborah Lohse, Tommy Scrivens, Andrea Kramer, Stephanie Tooman, Anna Morgan and Alexandra Wells, to name a few. Leslie currently attends SUNY Purchase College Conservatory of Dance where she is pursuing her B.F.A. in dance. Leslie was selected to study dance abroad at Korea National University of Arts in Seoul, South Korea this upcoming fall semester.
Video above: This was Leslie's application video for study abroad in South Korea. The choreography includes Graham floor work and a Studio Improvisation. 

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Future plans...
Leslie’s overall dream is to become a professional dancer performing with a major company and to eventually open her own dance studio to educate the next generation.

It is very important to her to give back to the community that gave her so much.


Each featured young woman was asked this same question:

Imagine you've just traveled through time, and you find yourself in the year 2028
. Where are you, and what are you doing?


I see myself dancing in a professional dance company and in the process of getting a studio opened where I can train youth to help them make their dreams reality. Most importantly, as a Latina in the dance industry, I want to inspire the young Latina community - to show them that they too can become professional dancers. To achieve this, I plan to integrate my Puerto Rican culture with my choreography and hope that my story resonates in the hearts of my audience. 

Follow Leslie on:

FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM

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​NEWS...

January Themes:
Hope, Reinvention,
No More Winter Blues


Next newsletter goes out:
February 3rd
​
Next Coffee & Conversation:

February 15, 2023
How Attachment Styles Affect Relationships
​
Next Team Talk:
TBA
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  • Open Book
    • Featured Interviews >
      • Archives: 2021
      • Archives: 2020
      • Archives: 2019
      • ARCHIVES: 2018
      • ARCHIVES: 2017
      • ARCHIVES: 2016
    • More Interviews >
      • ARCHIVES: Interviews 2019
      • ARCHIVES: Interviews 2018
      • ARCHIVES: Interviews 2017
      • ARCHIVES: Interviews 2016
    • Autism Awareness 2022 >
      • Autism Awareness 2021
      • Autism Awareness 2020
      • Autism Awareness 2019
      • Autism Awareness 2018
  • Blank Canvas
    • Featured Artists >
      • 2022 Featured Artist Updates
      • Featured Artist Archives: 2021
      • Featured Artist Archives: 2020
      • Featured Artist Archives: 2019
      • Featured Artist Archives: 2018
      • Featured Artist Archives: 2017
      • Featured Artist Archives: 2016
    • Selected Works
    • Culture Crawl >
      • Archives: Culture Crawl
    • 2022 Focus on Youth >
      • 2021 Focus on Youth
      • 2020 Focus on Youth
      • 2019 Focus on Youth
      • 2018 Focus on Youth
      • 2017 Focus on Youth
      • 2016 Focus on Youth
    • 2022 Celebrating the Men in Our Lives >
      • 2021 Celebrating the Men in Our Lives
      • 2020 Celebrating the Men in Our Lives
      • 2019 Celebrating the Men in Our Lives
      • 2018 Celebrating the Men in Our Lives
      • 2017 Celebrating the Men in Our Lives
  • Body & Spirit
    • Healthy Body >
      • Archives: Healthy Body
    • Healthy Mind >
      • Archives: Healthy Mind
    • Nutrition and Exercise >
      • Laura's Corner Table
      • Archives: Nutrition & Exercise
    • Personal Safety >
      • Archives: Personal Safety
    • Alternative Therapy >
      • Archives: Alternative Therapy
    • Navigating Relationships >
      • Archives: Navigating Relationships
  • INSPIRED LIFE
    • TRAVEL JOURNAL >
      • Travel Journal Archives
    • YOUR MONEY & BUSINESS >
      • MONEY & BUSINESS ARCHIVES
    • CAREER JOURNEY >
      • CAREER JOURNEY ARCHIVES
    • Smart Steps >
      • ARCHIVES: Smart Steps
  • GUEST ROOM
    • Ask an Expert >
      • ARCHIVES: ASK AN EXPERT
    • Kindness & Karma >
      • Archives: Kindness & Karma
    • We Hear You >
      • Celebrated Readers
      • TALKBACK
    • Submit Your Work
    • Book Giveaway 2022 >
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