Maria is a Portuguese dancer and dance teacher. Her relationship with movement began at the tender age of six in the city of Porto, and continued in the National Conservatory in Lisbon.

Eager to deepen her dance knowledge, she participated in a number of prestigious summer programs, including those at the Paris Opera Ballet School, English National Ballet School, and the Académie Princesse Grace in Monaco.

She furthered her dance education at Ballettschule Theater Basel, where she learnt from a wide range of esteemed professionals, including Cinthia Labaronne, François Petit, David Peden, Stefanie Arndt, Oscar Cordoba, Raymond Lukens, Franco de Vita, and Michael Langeneckert.

During her dance education, she was introduced to the choreographic works of artists like Richard Wherlock, Heinz Spoerli, Jorge Garcia Pérez, Kenneth MacMillan, and Johan Inger.

Now rooted in Zurich, she moves between stages and studios as an independent artist, bringing her experience to collaborative projects while nurturing the next generation through ballet teaching.