Spanish Dance
Leiza Mendez, a native of Cuba, performed with Alicia Alonso’s Ballet Español de Cuba for twelve years, where she was a principal dancer. She toured as a principal dancer in Spain, Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Canada, among other countries. For six years, she was also a chorographer for Alicia Alonso’s Ballet Español de Cuba. Ms. Mendez has studied under Manolo Marin, Antonio Gades, Trini Borrull, and Goyo Montero, among others, as well as in Amor de Dios in Madrid, Spain.
Ms. Mendez has participated in numerous international festivals of dance. In 1992 she formed part of the choreography that won second place in el Primer Certamen de Danza Española y Flamenco in Madrid. She has been a guest teacher at Las Cabales and Las Clavijos in Mexico. Ms. Mendez performed with Compañia Maria Serrano for one year in Seville, Spain, with whom she toured in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Portugal and Holland. She has also performed with Duende Ballet Español. Ms. Mendez has been a teacher at Conchita Espinosa Conservatory of the Arts since 2002.
