Maria was born in Barcelona, Spain, and relocated to the United States at the tender age of six, accompanied by her mother, a single parent and two-time immigrant who hailed from the former Soviet republic of Georgia. This significant move marked the beginning of Maria's life journey in a new country, where she would go on to develop a passion for the performing arts.
At the age of eight, Maria was accepted into the prestigious School of American Ballet in New York City, where she spent five years honing her skills in classical ballet. During this period, she performed in over 150 productions with the New York City Ballet, including a memorable stint as Marie/The Little Princess in George Balanchine's THE NUTCRACKER, a role she reprised for three holiday seasons.
Maria's professional debut came when she landed the role of Clara in the RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR, a Northeastern touring production featuring the Rockettes. Her impressive performance caught the attention of the creative team behind BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL on Broadway, who soon cast her as an immediate replacement, performing as a ballet girl and understudying the role of Debbie Wilkinson through the end of the run in 2012.
In the following year, Maria took on the roles of Young Charlotte in Susan Stroman's LITTLE DANCER and Young Anastasia in ANASTASIA, both written specifically for her. Her performances garnered attention from the film and television industry, leading her to transition into acting for the screen.
Maria has since appeared in numerous national commercials, web, and print campaigns for prominent brands such as Verizon, Canon, Tampax, Cheerios, and Stouffer's. Her television credits include several episodes of ABC's hidden camera show, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?, hosted by John Quiñones, as well as the voice of Hop the Squirrel in Season 1 of Nick Jr.'s ZACK AND QUACK.
In 2015, Maria received a nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Short Film at the International Filmmaker Festivals of World Cinema in London and Madrid for her performance as Young Abigail in the Holocaust short film IF THE TREES COULD TALK, directed by Michael Weinstein. The following year, she played Young Maria in the feature film BACK IN THE DAY, directed by Paul Borghese and starring Alec Baldwin, Mike Tyson, and Danny Glover.
Maria's most recent project was a co-star role in Sara Bareilles and J.J. Abrams' musical dramedy for Apple TV, directed by WAITRESS book writer, Jessie Nelson. This talented actress is a member of Actors' Equity, SAG-AFTRA, and AGVA, and is fluent in English, Spanish, and Georgian. When she's not performing, Maria enjoys playing the piano, acoustic/electric guitar, ukulele, djembe, basic drums, and violin, and has been writing music for over five years.
