Former professional New York-based dancer, Leigh Torlage is a choreographer, instructor and performance coach based in Vancouver, BC.

Leigh is known for her passion, expertise, creativity, professionalism and precise attention to detail.  An instructor at Harbour Dance Centre since 1996, Leigh has a large and loyal following. See Classes for info.

In 2002, after dancing in the film Chicago, Leigh was inspired to create the Candy Girl Cabaret - a group of Vancouver's top singers and dancers who would ultimately perform in her New York stylized, Broadway and Rock Burlesque shows. As described by the Georgia Straight: "Think Pussycat Dolls and Bob Fosse jazz numbers...the Candy Cabaret is a vampy variety show featuring the choreographic chops of NY Jazz Co.'s Leigh Torlage".

The success of this group eventually led to the opening of Maxine's Hideaway, Cabaret Restaurant and Lounge in Vancouver's West End - where Leigh's shows were the featured entertainment in this supper club nightspot. Leigh created 5 full productions for Maxine's: Candy Girl Cabaret, The Oh Boy! Cabaret, Candy Classic Cabaret, Candy ROCK Cabaret and Candy Christmas Cabaret shows, all of which were wildly successful and Maxine's quickly became one of Vancouver's hottest destination nightspots. Vancouverites, suburbanites, tourists and celebrities came to experience and frequent Maxine's and Leigh's Candy Cabaret shows.

Although Maxine's is now closed (due to the demolition of the historic Maxine's building), you can still catch glimpses of Leigh's Candy Cabaret performances at various corporate and live events.

John D. Henderson of Maxine's has this to say,"Leigh Torlage set the mood with fishnets, heels, fedoras, high kicks and smooth vocals in her professional, classy, slick and highly entertaining cabaret shows featuring talented, beautiful dancers and singers.  Leigh's professionalism and precise attention to detail is evident in every move and finger snap. Her choreography and staging is innovative, imaginative and inventive with seamless transitions that create an aesthetically exquisite performance like no other. This, combined with her innate sense of musicality, music choice, style, entertainment quality and keen eye for talent is what makes this perfect entertainment which was the essence of Maxine's Hideaway." Click here for more info on bookings.

The following is a video/interview of one of Leigh's performers with some Candy Cabaret show footage at Maxine's: Naughty in Vancouver (2009.)

Leigh and her Candy Cabaret shows have been featured in TV, radio, newspapers and magazines including: Vancouver Sun (numerous articles and mentions, Malcolm Parry); WE (West Ender newspaper: cover and feature story); Curve Magazine (feature); Vancouver Courier (feature); Georgia Straight (recommended entertainment); CBC Radio, The Kid Carson Show (The Beat 94.5); CBC TV's Living Vancouver; Shaw TV's The Express (featured 3 times including 2 holiday seasons) and numerous corporate events.

As a performer, Leigh danced in the Academy Award winning films (Chicago and Bullets Over Broadway), performed as Graziela and Anybodys in both the North American and European tours of the Broadway musical West Side Story; and danced on TV (Flash Gordon, Hellcats, various music videos) and in live theatre (West Side Story Grand Bend, Downtown Cabaret in Connecticut, The Blue Angel Cabaret in NYC, etc.)  Leigh performed and choreographed with the SW Florida Dance Theatre for 5 years before moving to NYC in 1989.

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photo credit: Karolina Turek