Lesly Miller

London
Company Member since 2023

Lesly was born in Mile End, near the Bow Bells at St Mary-le-Bow church in Cheapside. People born in this area are called Cockneys, a term often used to refer to East Londoners. From age 4 to 10, she studied ballet and character dance through the British Royal Dance Academy. At 10, she shifted her focus to gymnastics and athletics. She represented her Junior School at the county athletics competition in the high jump and cleared her own height. Always standing out, Lesly became a dedicated athlete, playing netball, rounders, field hockey, lacrosse, and fencing, and she also discovered trampoline as a sport. She served as Sports Captain for a couple of years and continued to compete in trampoline at the club level into her 30s. By her mid-30s, she began coaching.

In 1977, she joined Chase Manhattan’s London office until her first child was born, after which she stayed home. When her second daughter started kindergarten, Lesly enrolled at Bromborough & Bebington Community College and earned an Associate’s Degree in Interior Design. She spent five years as a designer, using CAD to help clients redesign spaces. In 1998, her family moved to the U.S. when her husband, Terry, took a job with General Motors in Michigan.

When they moved to the U.S., Lesly received a spousal visa but not a work visa. To stay engaged, she volunteered at Inner Space Designs, Grand Rapids Gyms, and Offering Alternative Therapy with Smiles (O.A.T.S.), a nonprofit that provides therapeutic horseback riding for people with conditions such as cerebral palsy and autism. At O.A.T.S., trained horses and volunteers helped individuals of all ages improve physically, emotionally, and socially through riding. Lesly initially assisted riders in preparing,
supported those needing help, assisted classes, fundraised, worked as a summer camp counselor, and eventually became an instructor over eight years. O.A.T.S. welcomed everyone, regardless of age or disability, using a mechanical lift when needed. Riders ranged from children to someone in her eighties. One summer, a young autistic rider pointed to a letter and said, “F is for Flinstones,” because he loved the cartoon. Inspired, Lesly painted characters on the barn walls to create a fun learning environment about horses and riding.

As soon as Lesly and Terry relocated to St. James in 2015, she joined a mentoring group for at-risk teens at Brunswick Community College, became involved with local food pantries, and enrolled in dance classes in tap, clogging, ballet, and musical theater at St. James Community Center, South Brunswick School of Dance, and Seaside Dance Company. In addition, Lesly teaches Pilates Equipment and Aerial Yoga two days a week at Southport Pilates.

Her daughters, Alexandra and Katie, are now busy working moms. Alex is a mental health professional and the EAP coordinator at Inventist Hospital Group, overseeing the well-being of ER staff. She has a 6- year-old grandson named Cage. Katie is the COO of an American firm that supplies virtual staff for specific projects within its businesses. She is also a grandmother to Lilly Anna, her 8-month-old granddaughter.

Lesly carpools from the Southport area to the New Hanover County Senior Center each week, along with Teri, Carie, and Nancy. “I love coming to Hi Steppers. It's like another dance family! We carpool, and that alone is nice. We get to chat more.”