CLAUDIA MONJA

From Havana, Cuba
With Nashville Ballet since 2021

Training and Education
Elemental Ballet School, Cuban National Ballet School

Previously
Cuban National Ballet, Ballet de Camagüey, Joburg Ballet

Claudia Monja was born in Havana, Cuba. At age three, she began practicing rhythmic gymnastics, continuing until she began her ballet studies at age nine. After studying at the Elemental Ballet School and the Cuban National Ballet School, she began her professional career with the Cuban National Ballet. Shortly after, she joined the Ballet de Camagüey, where she performed as a soloist for six years.

In 2012, she became a Principal Dancer with Joburg Ballet in South Africa, where she performed works like Giselle, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, La Traviata, Spring Waters, Flames of Paris, and Gamzatti. She has worked with choreographers such as Redha Benteifour and Corey Baker and has danced in tours to Italy, Ecuador, Colombia, and China, experiences she credits to her growth as an artist.

Monja is passionate about empowering youth and exposing them to the beauty of ballet. In addition to dancing on stage, she has worked as a ballet instructor, composed her own productions, and both prepared and judged students in competitive competitions.