Leanne Cope

Leanne Michelle Cope, born September 13, 1983, in Bath, England, is an English ballet dancer and theatre actress who built her professional foundation at two of Britain's most prestigious institutions. She began dancing at age five, first studying at The Dorothy Colebourn School of Dance before enrolling in The Royal Ballet Lower School at age eleven. By fifteen she had committed seriously to ballet, and she graduated from the Royal Ballet School in 2003.

Following graduation, Cope joined The Royal Ballet as a dancer and rose to the position of First Artist within the company by 2009. Choreographer Liam Scarlett described her as possessing a stage presence unlike any other. In 2014, while performing in The Royal Ballet's production of Swan Lake, she came to the attention of director and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, who was searching for a lead actress for his stage adaptation of the 1951 film An American in Paris. Having learned that Cope had sung during her school years, Wheeldon invited her to audition vocally; she performed "The Man I Love" and was cast in the role of Lise Dassin. In preparation for the part, she met with Leslie Caron, who had originated the role of Lise in the original film, to discuss the character.

Cope first performed the role of Lise at the Théâtre du Châtelet before bringing the production to Broadway. An American in Paris opened on April 12, 2015, with Robert Fairchild co-starring as Jerry, and Cope's performance earned widespread critical recognition. David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter noted her delicacy, charm, and confident singing, and observed that her physical presence subtly recalled Caron. Her Broadway debut earned her nominations for both the Tony Award and the Drama Desk Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, as well as the Theatre World Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in 2015. In 2016, it was announced that the production would transfer to London's West End, with both Cope and Fairchild reprising their roles; the musical began previews on March 4, 2017.