Leonides D. Arpon, a Filipino born in Israel, trained under the direction of Rosaline Subel Kassel at the Bat-Dor Dance School where he was taught by many internationally acclaimed teachers in Classical Ballet, Modern, Jazz and Character Dance. In 1998 he was a member of the Bat-Dor Dance Company and worked with Lucianno Cannitto, Randy Duncan, and Igal Perry.  

                Upon arriving to New York in 1999, Mr. Arpon has worked with Arthur Aviles, Earl Mosley, Richard Rivera, Matthew Rushing, Nathan Trice, Avila Weeks Dance, Johannes Wieland and Kevin Wynn. He is currently a member of Armitage Gone! Dance under the direction of Karole Armitage.

                He has presented his choreography in various showcases at the Alvin Ailey Theater, Dance New Amsterdam, Joyce Soho, Merce Cunningham Studios and the Theater of Riverside Church.

                Mr. Arpon has been in the faculty and invited as a guest teacher in the U.S. at the Peridance School, Professional Performing Arts School in New York, and at Litchfield Performing Arts in Connecticut; in Israel at the Bat-Dor Dance School, Thelma Yalin Performing Arts School, Bikorei Etim, Studio B.; and in Japan at the Tokyo and Osaka Schools of Music.  Mr. Arpon is also the recipient of the recent Princess Grace Award (2006).

Leonides D. Arpon Dance Reviews:

Soo Hee Kim and Leonides D. Arpon portrayed lovers quarreling and reconciling in Mr. Arpon's ''Sooleo,'' and their separations and reunions were equally intense.

(New York Times)

Kanji Segawa was a sleek, earthly angel in Mr. Arpon's ''Near My God to Thee.''

(New York Times)

In Leonides Arpon's '' . . . now that you've gone,'' Karah M. Abiog shook with sorrow and ran with desperation.

(New York Times)

Leonides D. Arpon's contemporary ballet duet, Sooleo," courageously used classical vocabulary to evoke a stark aesthetic and a comic sensibility. After a clever start, the piece loses its emotional impact and gives way to straight-ahead execution of impressive partner work.

(Backstage Magazine)

I thought to myself this could really be a dance and then it was—good motion, well crafted, well danced, with an unique motion now and then.  The choreographer, Leonides D. Arpon, has a good feel for motion and  design and the dancers for living in the motion.
(Ruth Grauert).

Most striking in his individuality is the diminutive Leonides D. Arpon, an Israeli-born Filipino.
(New York Times).

The opening section, ''The Exalted Body,'' was a solo of nonstop, high-energy fidgets danced to fine-scaled perfection by Leo Arpon.
(New York Times).

"Malestrom" was not a verbal maelstrom; its turbulence came from the men's dancing, with the lithe Mr. Arpon consistently commanding attention.
(New York Times).

Leonides Arpon moves as sprightly as a hummingbird, and Brian Chung lifts him as if he were a feather.
(Newsday)

Leonides Arpon's unbelievably adroit, mercurial dancing deserves every superlative in the dictionary.
(Village Voice)

Leonides Arpon, danced in a completely different manner, with a wonderful sense of rhythm and liveliniess which compensated for the disadvantage of his shorter limbs. Emphasizing the funky taste of street dance with elastic movements to the percusive music, his soul was dancing even more than his body.

(The Arts Cure, formerly New York Dance Fax).

Quicksilver Leonides Arpon and valiant, glorious Theresa Ruth Howard, in particular, gave credible performances with fealty to Armitage's movement ideas even when these notions made them look manipulative or manipulated, abusive or abused, or just plain awkward.
(Field Notes by Eva Yaa Asantewaa).

The virtuosity of Leonides D. Arpon delights whenever he is on stage.
(Gay City News)

Most notably, Leonides Arpon performed with incredible attitude and energy.
(12Gauge.com)

Throughout, glimpses of calligraphy's brushwork and iconography seem to inform the movements, especially those of the tiny, quicksilver Arpon, moving so lightly his arms seem to float on currents of air.
(The Boston Globe).

Arpon flashes through like a meteor of detailed spins, openings and closings, flirtatious wrists.
(The Phoenix, Concord MA).

Leonides D. Arpon, a Filipino born in Israel, was the star. Short and wiry, he brought an energy to the stage that was compelling.
(Edge, Boston MA).