* * * OUR TEAM * * *

DIRECTOR & FOUNDER – Sandra Castro-Mühlbauer

Sandra Castro-Mühlbauer is a principal dancer, international guest artist and choreographer. The Austrian ballerina received her ballet education at the Conservatory in Vienna under the direction of International Ballet Star Karl Musil and Prima Ballerina Evelyn Teri.

Sandra won many prizes at international ballet competitions such as the Nureyev Competition, the Serge Lifar Competition, Prix de Lausanne, ÖTR Contest, Fouette Artek and many more. She worked together with very acknowledged artists and choreographers such as Edouard Lock, Vladimir Malakhov, Patricia Neary, Diana Vishneva, Rafael Avnikjan, Renato Zanella and Evelyn Teri.

Sandra has danced for well-known companies such as Lalala Human Steps, the Vienna State Opera Ballet, the Slovak National Theatre, the world-famous Lido in Paris and many more. Her favorite roles include Odette and Odile in Swan Lake, Gamzatti in La Bayadère, Myrta in Giselle and Aegina in Spartacus.

In 2017 Sandra opened the Ballet School “Mont Royal Ballet Academy” together with her husband in Montreal, and since then she travels internationally as guest teacher and adjudicator at ballet competitions. Sandra is also the founder and director of Elegance – 1st International Online Ballet & Contemporary Dance Competition.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR – Eduarda Grillo

Eduarda is a ballet dancer living in Montreal, Canada. She has attended different ballet competitions in Canada, USA and Europe.

Eduarda has organized the first edition of Elegance, working as the assistant director of the competition. Eduarda is also a registered dietitian nutritionist, member of the professional dietetic order of Quebec (OPDQ).

GRAPHIC DESIGNER – Amanda Fanizza

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VARIATION DEMONSTRATORS – Samaël Maurice

Samaël Maurice started his Ballet training at the age of 9 at École supérieure de ballet du Québec. He participated in the Nutcracker productions of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal for many years and in 2013 and 2014, he performed the role of Fritz. In 2018 at 15 years old, Samaël joined the famous Ellison Ballet school in New York City under the direction of Edward Ellison. Samaël was coached by Edward Ellison and Bat Udval and he will graduate this season.

In 2021 Samaël was a candidate at Prix de Lausanne that gave him the opportunity to accept to be part of the Janet Parker Junior Company with the wonderful Queensland Ballet In Australia, where he will start to dance for the next season in January 2022.

Samaël is very happy to be the face of this amazing competition and to have the wonderful opportunity to work under the direction of Sandra Castro-Mühlbauer, who is also his mentor.

VARIATION DEMONSTRATORS – Evelyn Robinson

Evelyn Robinson is from the small town of Tyler, Texas where she began her training at age 7 at Tyler Junior College Academy of Dance under Thereza Bryce-Cotes, Shurrell Wiebe, and Carolyn Hanna. At the age of 15, Evelyn began attending the University of North Carolina School of the Arts high school dance program on full scholarship.

There she trained under Jennet Zerbe, Susan Jaffe, Eva Draw, Angelina Sansone, Jared Redick, Laura Martin, and many other UNCSA dance faculty members. While at UNCSA from 2017 to 2020, Evelyn danced principal roles in Ethan Steifel’s The Nutcracker, Frederick Ashton’s Symphonic Variations, Joseph Mazilier’s Paquita, Petipa’s Harlequinade and Sleeping Beauty, and Ilya Kozadayev’s Dream(s)pace.

During her training, Evelyn attended the Atlanta Ballet, Ballet West, UNCSA, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Houston Ballet, and the Royal Ballet’s summer programs. In 2020, Evelyn competed at the Prix de Lausanne and was one of 21 dancers who passed to the finals.

After graduating from UNCSA’s high school program in 2020, Evelyn joined Atlanta Ballet II. She thanks all of her teachers and family for their love, support, and guidance.