She has launched and managed her children’s successful professional careers and springboarded hundreds of personal clients to success in the performance arts industry over the past 35 years. She offers consulting, guidance and education and promotion as well as networking ops to her clients by helping them book opportunities to expand their resumes and ultimately gain professional representation in both the NYC and LA markets.
She offers her Makin’ It Happen; A Career in the Performing Arts Online Courses, Podcast, YouTube Channel and more to parents of talented youth, to college students, graduates, and adult clients throughout the US and abroad.
For over 40 years, she has owned and directed The Star Maker School of the Performing Arts located in New Jersey. Together with her staff, all of whom are working professional Broadway, Film and TV actors, singers, and dancers, Csolak has trained students who have won hundreds of State, Regional, and National titles and many who, as minors, went on to professional work in the arts performing on Broadway, in Film & TV, Commercials, VO, the Music Industry, Print and Modeling.
She was a coach and choreographer for Madonna’s 2012 MDNA World Tour. She has worked as the casting director on short and feature independent films and commercials, associate produced music videos for upcoming named artists and participated on numerous creative teams for stage and Broadway projects. Leesa has choreographed and directed music videos for NBC and the Oxygen Network and assistant produced Music Videos and Concerts for Nickelodeon and Sony. She can be seen in the docu-series ‘The Next Big Thing’ as a successful manager of her sons, her students and a consultant and promoter for talented youth. Leesa wrote and choreographed educational and professional children’s videos for major players in the industry. She can boast a world release by Sony and Home Vintage Entertainment. She has springboarded child, teen, and young adult singer/songwriters into the music industry as well.
She has directed and choreographed for the Junior Olympic Games, the Metropolitan Opera and the Juilliard School in NYC and for a World Tour to Moscow, Leningrad and Denmark. She has produced and directed for the Miss America Pageant Organization, choreographed halftimes for the NY Knicks, the Net’s, 76er’s and various bowl games as well as opening/closing performances for the US Junior Olympic Committee. She has been instrumental in re-evaluating programs for major competitive organizations including National Dance and Talent Competitions. She is a featured speaker at Regional and National conventions and a prominent National and World level judge. She has a pre-medical degree as well as extensive background in Business and Art. A true renaissance girl, her entire life she has been passionate about helping talented individuals see that working in the performing arts is indeed possible.
She is CEO of Launch, The Competition and Convention (www.launchtalentny.com). LAUNCH is the newest, premiere competition and convention that dares studio directors, teachers, and performers of all ages to launch into a future in the arts. The name signifies what we hope to provide for every performer: a successful launch into a future in the performing arts through encouragement of well-rounded skills, technique, knowledge, and confidence of not just the craft of performance, but also the real-world realities of working successfully in the entertainment industry today.
Leesa has mentored hundreds of clients in preparation for college auditions and professional work. She works with dancers, singers, and actors. @leesacsolak.lbctalent