Mariia Taranko began dancing at the age of three. A lively and curious child, she explored many activities before finding her true calling in ballet. At nine, she was accepted into the Krasnodar Choreographic School, where her talent quickly shone — she became a laureate of several international competitions and received the Governor’s Prize for outstanding achievement.

At thirteen, Mariia moved to Saint Petersburg to continue her studies at the Boris Eifman Dance Academy, where she trained under the mentorship of Natalia Permyakova. Upon graduation, she joined the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus, performing in both corps de ballet and solo roles across the company’s rich classical repertoire.

Mariia’s artistic goal is to keep expanding her creative boundaries — to explore new movement possibilities and discover what the body is truly capable of achieving through discipline and imagination.

Her guiding philosophy: “Desire alone is not enough — you have to act. Don’t be afraid to try, to explore, and to discover new possibilities. We are capable of more than we think.”

Since 2025, Mariia Taranko has been performing with the World Ballet Company, where she continues to grow as an artist and inspire audiences across the United States.