Claudia Monja

Claudia Monja was born in Havana, Cuba. At age 3, she began practicing rhythmic gymnastics, which she did until beginning her ballet studies at age 9. 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 internal tours to Italy, Ecuador, Colombia, and China and credit these experiences 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.