Leo Quintana

Leo Quintana is a Catalan dancer, choreographer and artistic director whose career spans classical ballet, musical theatre, television and film. Born in 1958, Quintana began dancing in Catalan *esbarts* at age three before pursuing formal classical training from 1972 to 1983 at the Institut del Teatre and the schools of Ramon Solé and Berta Vallribera. This dual foundation—rooted in community dance traditions and rigorous ballet technique—shaped his distinctive approach to choreography.

Quintana is best known for his long collaboration with La Cubana, the influential Catalan theatre collective. Beginning with *Cómeme el coco negro*, he served as choreographer across their productions including *Marathon Dancing*, *Cegada de amor*, *Les Teresines* and *Una nit d'òpera*. His choreography for *Cegada de amor*, presented at Barcelona's Teatre Tívoli in 1994, demonstrated his ability to integrate movement with La Cubana's distinctive blend of comedy, spectacle and theatrical innovation.

Beyond his work with La Cubana, Quintana directed Enèsim cia. de ball, a company that synthesized Catalan-dance roots with broader vocabularies of music, theatrical design and performance. He also contributed choreographic and design work for television productions including work with TV3. Throughout his career, Quintana has moved fluidly between stage and screen, treating both as spaces where dance could structure narrative and visual storytelling.