Leo Landa had an intense interest in tango music of all kinds since before he can remember. Upon encountering the dance of Argentine tango he became a devoted student of the art, quickly turning into an avid tanguero on the local Argentine tango scene.
Leo has studied with numerous local and world-renowned professionals. Among Bay Area locals, he has studied extensively with Lisette Perelle and with Santiago Croce. Among the masters on the world stage Leo values his learning experiences with Juan Cantone and Sol Orozco, Fabian Peralta and Josefina Bermudez, Maximiliano Cristiani and Jesica Arfenoni, and a number of others.
Leo most enjoys social, intimate styles, which he considers “Salon-ish.” He is a stickler for tango etiquette, both on and off the dance floor.
Since 2012 Leo is partnered with Alona Gorer, an exquisite Argentine tango dancer. Leo and Alona frequently train, compete, perform, and teach together.
Leo and Alona have competed in the coveted “Tango Salon” category (since 2013 also known as “Tango de Pista”) of the Official Argentine Tango USA Championship (ATUSA). Leo and Alona are five-time ATUSA finalists (2013—2017).
Leo enjoys performing Argentine tango. He has performed at milongas, concerts, and various other private and public events. His performance partners included some of San Francisco Bay Area's top tango talent, including, among others, Alona Gorer, Yumiko Krupenina, Mayumi Fujio, Oxana Chernikova, and Andrea Fuchilieri.
Leo and Alona took part in stage productions. They are co-creators and stars of the tango show “Nostalgias de Tango,” written by Leo. “Nostalgias de Tango” is a collaboration with the Argentine tango band “Tangonero” and singers Claudio Ortega and Irina Martineau. Leo and Alona are featured dancers in Tiziana Perinotti's “Love Junkies the Musical,” working alongside some of the top Argentine tango talent in the San Francisco Bay Area — Count Glover, Lisette Perelle, Ramada Salieri, and Sonya Nagaslaeva.
Leo has taught group classes, private classes, and small group semi-private class series. Leo likes to break down Argentine tango subjects into clear interrelated subcategories in a systematic way, and drill deep into the details of even the most basic of concepts.
Leo is the founder and admin of the “SF Bay Area Tango” community on Google+, the most populous regional tango community on Google+ in the world. He is the founder and admin of the SF Bay Area Tango partner search group. He is the organizer of group performances by ATUSA Championship contestants from San Francisco Bay Area. Leo's YouTube channel features hundreds of videos of visiting maestros and local talent, as well as the most complete playlists for ATUSA and Mundial championships in the world. He is a technical adviser on a range of subjects to several local tango organizers.
Leo currently resides in the South Bay, but can be frequently found at various milongas throughout San Francisco Bay Area.