Pilar Leto

Rest and Dance in Peace & Joy Pilar! You are so very LOVED and DEEPLY missed!!!

Afro-Cuban & Brazilian Dance. Pilar was born and raised in San Francisco, where she was influenced and immersed in not only her Filipino cultural dances, but also the dances of Brazil, Puerto Rico and Cuba. Becoming a member of Batucaje (one of the founding groups of San Francisco's CARNAVAL over twenty years ago) was the catalyst that inspired Pilar's performance desires. Pilar has toured Japan twice performing with her group, The Caribbean Festival Dancers. She has traveled to Cuba three times to further her knowledge of Afro-Cuban folkloric dances. While in Cuba, Pilar studied at the Escuela Nacional de Arte with members of Conjunto Folklorico National and Raices Profundas.

Pilar sums up her endeavors as this: "The dance I perform and teach is a collective contribution to the evolution of an ancient, expressive, and timeless African-based cultural art form. As is customary in this great evolution, the dance and music reflect my concerns, my aspirations, and the passionate celebration of life".