About Nathalia.
Nathalia Arja was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she began her training at the age of five at Escola de Dança Alice Arja. At fourteen, she joined the Companhia de Ballet do Rio de Janeiro, where she also gained recognition in international competitions, earning scholarships to prestigious institutions including The Royal Ballet School, Joffrey Ballet School, and Canada’s National Ballet School.
At fifteen, she moved to the United States on full scholarship to train at Miami City Ballet School. After three years, she joined Miami City Ballet as a school apprentice in 2009, was promoted to the corps de ballet in 2011, soloist in 2014, and principal soloist in 2016. In March 2020, she was promoted to Principal.
Throughout her career, Arja has originated roles in works by renowned choreographers including Alexei Ratmansky, Liam Scarlett, Jamar Roberts, Pontus Lidberg, and Claudia Schreier. In 2015, she was featured on the cover of Pointe Magazine under the title “Breath of Fresh Air.”
In addition to her performance career, Arja has developed a growing body of choreographic work. Her piece Seven Days Walking, created for Miami City Ballet’s Choreographic Workshop, was selected for the Men Who Dance Festival, where it received critical acclaim and was later presented by Madison Ballet as part of a program highlighting female choreographers.
Her choreographic work has also been commissioned and presented across South America, including for the Companhia de Ballet do Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, as well as in the United States for organizations such as Sanctuary of the Arts in Miami. She has also created work for Miami City Ballet dancers through the company’s choreographic workshop, continuing to expand her voice as a choreographer both nationally and internationally.
Choreography is a deeply intuitive process for Nathalia.
Nathalia’s approach to choreography and teaching is rooted in musicality, intuition, and continuous evolution.
Rather than confining her work to a single style, she allows each piece to develop organically—guided by sound, energy, and the unique qualities of the dancers in front of her.
As an educator and mentor, she places equal importance on artistic development and well-being, fostering an environment where dancers can grow with both rigor and sustainability. Her work challenges dancers to move beyond replication and into a deeper, more personal form of expression.
“The moment I hear music, movement begins to form. I don’t think of choreography as something that is created, I discover it.”
“What matters most to me is helping dancers move beyond what is expected of them and into something more honest. Not just dancing steps, but truly experiencing the movement—and allowing that to be seen.”