Leona Wood (May 21, 1921 – February 7, 2008) was a 20th-century American painter, dancer, writer and co-founder of the Aman International Folk Ensemble.

[4] In 1947, when De Beers launched their "A diamond is forever" advertising campaign, they hired such visionary artists as Picasso, Salvador Dalí … and in 1957, Leona Wood.

Los Angeles Times music and dance critic Martin Bernheimer called Aman "one of the finest ethnic companies anywhere.

"[7] In 1978, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra engaged Aman to dance to their performances of several compositions based on folk themes, and in 1979, the company made its debut in New York.

[8] Inspired by her involvement with costume design for the company, Wood began painting Middle Eastern dancers and their milieu in the style of 19th century Orientalist painters.

In 1980, Wood received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to stage a Kwakiutl winter ceremonial for Aman.

She commissioned three ceremonial masks from artist Duane Pasco, and designed the mise en scėne, including a dance screen hung upstage, and a fire that lighted the stage from the center rather than the wings.