1965 VARNA, BULGARIA. LEO (IN WHITE SHIRT IN PICTURE ABOVE). SECOND INTERNATIONAL BALLET COMPETITION. HE WON A BRONZE MEDAL (ALTHOUGH THE ACTUAL MEDAL IS SILVER!)
HERE IS HIS INCREDIBLE JOURNEY: LEO BOARDED THE PLANE IN HELSINKI TO GO TO VARNA, BUT ENDED UP ON A FLIGHT TO PALMA DE MALLORCA, SPAIN. HE HAD TO STAY THERE THREE DAYS TO GET A FLIGHT BACK TO HELSINKI. THEN FINALLY HE GOT THE FLIGHT FROM HELSINKI TO VARNA, BUT HIS LUGGAGE DID NOT ARRIVE. HE HAD HIS MUSIC NOTES, COSTUMES, AND SHOES IN THE LUGGAGE. THAT IS THE LAST TIME ANY OF HIS PERFORMANCE STUFF ENDED IN A LUGGAGE. THREE MONTHS LATER HIS LUGGAGE ARRIVED IN HELSINKI. LEO COMPETED HIS THREE STAGES IN HIS WHITE DRESS SHIRT. WHEN TIKHONOV WAS GETTING RID OF HIS USED SHOES, LEO ASKED IF HE COULD HAVE THEM. HE MADE A DANCE BELT FROM A BATHING SUIT, AND VARNA THEATER GAVE HIM THE TIGHTS. FOR MUSIC LEO ASKED THE PIANIST TO PLAY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF WALTZ-COUNTS FOR EACH VARIATION. ONE VARIATION HE STARTED HOLDING A SOUS-SUS FOR A WHILE TO GET THE AUDIENCE'S ATTENTION AND THEN DID A TRIPLE TOUR EN L'AIR TO THE KNEE! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! YEARS LATER WHEN A BOLSHOI BALLET DANCER HAD A PROBLEM, THE DIRECTOR, YURI GRIGOROVICH COMMENTED: "THAT IS NOT A PROBLEM, LEO AHONEN HAD A PROBLEM IN VARNA!"