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Leo Garcia - Homepage

Leo Garcia

Leo "Silk" Garcia is known for his shine work and for his blending of ballroom technique with the authentic folklore roots of Afro-American and Afro-Cuban dances. He is presently a dance consultant at justsalsa.com

He began his dance odyssey as a young boy imitating the "shines" of the street dancers in his native Colombia. He went on to perform with the Compania Folklorica de Amira de la Rosa and La Compania Flamenca de Roberto Angulo.

Later in NYC he was under the tutelage of his mentor, the great Palladium dancer, Freddie Rios. He studied jazz under jazz master Luigi. He also worked with Eddie Torres and participated in the Eddie Torres Dance Company.

To list some of Leo's dance achievements…

Featured dancer in the PBS "Gotta Dance Showcase" series.
Featured dancer on Univision's TV's ratings sensation "Sabado Gigante".
Featured dancer at the Apollo Theater with the Eddie Torres Dance Company and the Tito Puente Orchestra in the "Tribute to Machito" NBC TV program.
Featured dancer in Mambo Kings.
A top finalist in the Tito Puente Mambo Dance Contest sponsored by the NY Daily News.
Featured dancer in Walt Disney's Marathon Salsa Contest at the Copacabana.
Performed for four years with Stardust Productions as dancer and host in the Catskills, NY.
Featured as a Latin dancer in the GQ and Latin Beat magazines.
Featured as a Latin dance instructor in the KetNet TV show for the King in Brussels, Belgium.
Featured as a Latin dancer in the Italianíssima TV Show in Seregno Italy.
Featured as a Latin dancer in the Festival Latinoamericano Blu Caribe Dance School in Assago, Italy.

For the past five years Leo has taught mambo shines and partner work, cha cha, and rumba in his home studio in NYC and in dance workshops in Seattle, San Francisco, LA, Detroit, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, London, Stockholm, Berlin, Munich, Brussels, Basel, Seregno (Italy) Lecin and Milan.

Students in Leo's classes practice in a gentle non-competitive environment. He stresses proper techniques of breathing and centering and the understanding of the clave. All shines and partner work are done in relation to the musicality and understanding of the body movement.

About Leo - "Silk"

Leo's classes bring a unique and spontaneous mysticism to the physical aspects of mambo. They are practiced in a gentle non-competitive environment. His workshops and classes promote an internal and external awareness that allows your body movement to become an expression of your own inner feelings and emotions. This is accomplished using appropriate body postures and integrated breathing techniques.

Salsa/Mambo promotes an emotional stability and energy level that affects every aspect of your life. Leo's system will increase your physical strength, stamina, agility, balance and flexibility for both body and mind.

Leo's unique teaching style is an eclectic blend of dances including Cuban folklore, ballroom, jazz, tap and African; as well as selected martial arts techniques.

Leo has extensive experience for numerous years as a dance instructor working privately and in studio settings providing individual classes and group workshops in his native country, New York City where he resides and abroad. This talented and innovative dance instructor is now engaged full time with his first love, teaching Cuban son, mambo, palladium style/ salsa 1 or 2, cha cha cha and mambo. He continues to further his knowledge by studying with the foremost swing teachers and world renowned dance instructors.

Aniversario del Mambo & Cha-Cha-Cha

2001 will be half century worldwide celebration in Havana, NYC, Milan, London, Zurich, Berlin, Heidelberg, Amsterdam, LA, San Francisco, Seattle, Tokyo.

Disclamer: justsalsa.com does not represent or endorse any of the salsa instructors or dance schools listed in this section. Comments on the classes, teaching methodologies, or instructors are solely based on the opinions of the editor.

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