Maria Calegari is an acclaimed former Principal Dancer for New York City Ballet and has performed on many world stages. She is a valued instructor of professional companies abroad and in the U.S., and teaches all levels and ages of young students and pre-professionals.

Maria was 3½ years old when she started taking ballet class herself. With continued training, several years later she auditioned at the School of American Ballet, the premier training ground, associated with New York City Ballet. She received a full scholarship there. In 1974, when she was only 17, she was personally chosen by the Company Director and world-famous choreographer George Balanchine to join New York City Ballet. She was promoted to Soloist in 1981 and Principal Dancer in 1983. Ms. Calegari danced more than 40 soloist roles in the company's vast repertory and worked extensively with renowned choreographer Jerome Robbins to create new ballets throughout the 1980's.

She has often appeared on Public Television. She was Artist-in-Residence at the Richmond Center for Dance and Associate Professor of Dance at SUNY Purchase in N.Y. She had her own school, The Maria Calegari School of Ballet, in New Milford, CT., from 2002-2004.