De Dios was in turn a student, with seven others, of the great manisero Argeliers Leon.[3] Quijano writes of the eight graduates of Leon that they "knew the art ... in its entirety", as both a dance form and a martial art,[3] and were founding members of the Conjunto Folklorico Nacional (Cuba's 'National Folkloric Connection' dance organization),[3][9] where they taught "a folkloric version", i.e. one oriented to dance performance.[3]