Gabriela began her classical ballet training at the age of twelve in Tampa, Florida, at Next Generation Ballet.  She broadened her training with summer intensives at The School of American Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Chautauqua School of Dance, where former Principal Dancers of The New York City Ballet, Patricia McBride and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, awarded Gabriela the Artistic Director Award for Artist Merit.

At the age of sixteen, Gabriela was invited to attend The School of American Ballet in New York City on scholarship.  There she was intensively trained in the George Balanchine technique by many of his former principal dancers.  While attending SAB, Gabriela performed leading roles in Balanchine’s Raymonda, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Theme and Variations, Agon and in Jerome Robbins’ FanFare.  During her studies in New York, she was asked to teach ballet technique to the younger students—that is when her true passion for teaching began.

Upon graduation, Gabriela was offered a professional contract with Boston Ballet.  Instruction from many internationally renowned guest teachers and choreographers enhanced her Boston experience.  During her professional career, she has performed leading roles in Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes and Christopher Wheeldon’s The American.  She has also appeared in Mikko Nissinen’s Nutcracker, William Forsythe’s Artifact, Marius Petipa’s Sleeping Beauty, John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet, August Bournonville’s La Sylphide, and Balanchine’s Chaconne.

Gabriela moved to Utah in 2018 to pursue her passion for teaching as Ballet Director at Utah Dance Artists, where she built a program for students interested in a professional ballet career.  Her students have been accepted on scholarship to summer programs at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Ballet West, and Ballet Austin.  Gabriela’s choreography has merited Judges Choice awards for Best Showmanship, Best Technique, and Overall Choice.  She is very excited to be joining Studio West Dance Academy to share her knowledge and passion for dance with her new students.