Leadership & Staff

At age 14, Mariaelena became the youngest member of the Ballet Nacional de Caracas, under the direction of Vicente Nebrada.  Soon after, she won 3rd place Junior Division at the Jackson USA International Ballet Competition and received a full scholarship to continue her studies at the School of American Ballet in New York. She won the Best Couple award and 3rd Place Senior Division at the Varna International Ballet Competition and also won at the Prix Volinine in Paris.

Over the next seven years, Mariaelena performed principal roles at Bay Ballet Theater, Cleveland San Jose Ballet, and Ballet Hispanico; and as a guest artist for many companies in the US and Europe.  Between 2000 to 2006 Mariaelena danced an all Balanchine repertoire in the Suzanne Farrell Ballet at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

In 2000 she began teaching part-time at The Rock School for Dance Education and became full-time Ballet Master at The Rock School in 2006, there she trained some of today’s brightest ballet stars.

In 2015 Mariaelena and her husband became part owners of Cary Ballet Conservatory where she created the Professional Training Program, that same year she also became the Artistic Director of Cary Ballet Company. During her time as PTP director, the Conservatory has been awarded the Outstanding School Award at YAGP, ADC, and has also been featured in Dance Magazine and Pointe Magazine. Mariaelena was the cover of Dance Teacher Magazine with the featured story titled: “Mariaelena Ruiz works her magic at Cary Ballet Conservatory.” and In 2016 Mariaelena was named the “Outstanding Teacher” at the ADC International Ballet Competition

Mariaelena has been a judge and guest teacher for YAGP and has also worked with the New York International Ballet Competition.  She was featured in the award-winning documentary First Position and in the WHYY Philadelphia documentary made about the first Curtis Institute of Music and Rock School Collaboration in 2009.  In 2016 Mariaelena was named outstanding teacher at the ADC International Ballet Competition

She has coached medalists for major competitions including Moscow IBC, Jackson USA IBC, Boston IBC, Prix de Lausanne, Youth America Grand Prix, and American Dance Competition.  Her former students are dancing professionally all over the world in companies such as National Ballet of Canada, American Ballet Theater, Het National Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Charlotte Ballet, Washington Ballet, New York City Ballet, Houston Ballet, Ballet West, and on Broadway.

As Artistic Director of Cary Ballet Company, one of the first things she brought to fruition was a full-length Nutcracker which has been sold out and enjoyed by many since 2016. She also created the Nutcracker mini-shows as a one- hour lecture demonstration with a narrator and details of how the performance of the Nutcracker comes to life.

Aside from working with Cary Ballet Company’s very talented choreographers, Mariaelena has been responsible for bringing to the company’s “Spring Works” some very sought-after choreographers to work with the dancers to create original works.

She has choreographed and adapted excerpts of the most famous classical ballets for the company, including Le Corsaire, Bayadere, and “Don Quixote.”

In 2021 and 2023 Cary Ballet was awarded the YAGP Outstanding School Award thanks to Mariaelena’s leadership and dedication.

After MCB, she completed her B.S. and Master’s degrees in biology from The University of Toledo. She then returned to teaching and has been on faculty with the Miami City Ballet, The Reston Conservatory Ballet in Virginia, The Toledo Ballet, Ballet Theater of Toledo, and St. Louis Ballet School. She served as ballet mistress for St. Louis Ballet, where she was responsible for rehearsing company repertoire including ballets by Petipa, Balanchine, Gen Horiuchi, Michael Uthoff, and Christopher d’Amboise.

Heather Iler joined the faculty of Cary Ballet Conservatory in 2011. In 2014, she assumed the role of CBC’s Director of Summer Intensive. She has continued to revise and update the schedule, increase class offerings, and create the Aspiring Dancer Program. In 2015, she was named CBC’s Director of the Ballet School. Through her tenure, she has established and implemented her curriculum, built the teacher assistant program, and continued to develop and create evening schedules. She developed the highly successful studio program, a comprehensive bridge between the Professional Training Program (PTP) and evening programs and was instrumental in the establishment of the PTP. Ms. Iler is lead faculty with CBC’s PTP, directed by Mariaelena Ruiz. Since the establishment of PTP and the Studio Program, CBC has been named by Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) as Best School (2019, 2018, 2017) and Best Faculty (2020) and by American Dance Competition-International Ballet Competition (ADC-IBC) as Best School (2018 and 2017).

In 2011, Ms. Iler became involved in Cary Ballet Company as a choreographer and ballet master. During her first year, she was pivotal in creating a full-length production of “The Nutcracker.”  In 2014, she was appointed as Associate Artistic Director of the company. Under her leadership, she has helped to build repertoire, create original choreography, and expand opportunities for dancers through programs such as Plié All Day. Through her tenure, she has brought such renowned ballets as Coppélia, La Bayadère, Paquita, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and other classical repertoires to the company, all while teaching, overseeing casting, and maintaining production quality.

Upholding the company’s mission statement, Heather Iler firmly believes every person should have access to ballet and live theatre, regardless of age, skill, or background. Her philosophy imparts to all her passion and joy of dance, whether they are destined for a professional life or simply one enriched with the love of movement.

​​While attending RU, she continued to split her time studying and performing within the two artistic departments.  She loved singing with the Radford Singers and University Chorus while balancing her love of ballet through the dance education program, guest artists workshops, and summer ballet intensives.  Christina has a background in various technical studies such as Vaganova Russian ballet method, Martha Graham style of modern dance, and the Pilates method for physical fitness (originally known as Joseph Pilates “Contrology” body conditioning gym).  She did her classical ballet training under Franco Jelincic and his wife Dagmar Kessler (a prima ballerina with PBT) and performed annually while at RU in various ballet productions such as The Nutcracker Suite, The Graduation Ball, and Swan Lake.  She also studied jazz and choreography under Margaret Devaney and was introduced to modern dance, dance history, and the Pilates methods under the instruction of Dr. Pegeen Albig.  Other artistic opportunities she experienced at RU included guest artist workshops with the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble (now known as Ailey II) and Donald McKayle (American modern dancer and choreographer).  Before her senior year, Christina attended a summer ballet intensive at Ballet Magnificat in Jackson, MS, founded by Kathy Thibodeaux.  Over the course of her educational years, Christina has performed vocally and danced across many states, including NY, LA, MS, TX, FL, PA, TN, NC, and her home state of VA.   Some of her favorite performances were singing with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and being selected as one of three RU dancers to perform in NY, a contemporary, lyrical solo in trio accompaniment with the VT chamber music ensemble spring production.

Post graduation, Christina went on to pursue local music theatre, Disney and toured the east coast states with The New Dawn Singers before beginning her teaching years at In Motion Dance Center, The Center of Dance (while under the direction of Carol Crawford Smith, a former dancer with The Dance Theatre of Harlem), and here at Cary Ballet Conservatory.

Christina loves to continue sharing a deep love for ballet, music, and choreography with others.  Some of her favorite hobbies (away from the arts) can be found in outdoor camping and retreats.  She completed her post-grad educational studies at Drew University in outdoor camping ministries, receiving her “Common Ground” program certification. As a Camp Site Director, she loved exploring the beauty of state parks and traveling across the US.  Recreationally, she enjoys hiking the Appalachian Trail, taking extended backpack trips, kayaking the New River, and climbing up rock walls.  Wherever the road of life takes her, Christina maintains a positive outlook on life and feels blessed to once again share her passion for dance with a new generation of dancers here at Cary Ballet!

As a member of The Sarasota Ballet, he had the opportunity to perform several internationally renowned ballets, including George Balanchine’s Diamonds, Stars and Stripes, Theme and Variations, and Western Symphony, as well a Frederick Ashton’s Enigma Variations. At age 21, he joined the Cleveland Ballet in Cleveland, Ohio.  After pandemic-forced closures, Mr. Agustin de Sousa returned to the Cary Ballet Conservatory as a faculty member, teaching young dancers where he himself was a student.

Later becoming an independent designer/creator, she extended her training and knowledge into making tutus and other costumes for the ballet. She took classes with the late Travis Halsey to extend her knowledge of ballet costumes and also to work with lycra fabrics. 

She started a website selling her own line of dancewear designs and began designing costumes for the competitive side of dance. Her work includes; tutus, a Nutcracker and Rat queen head, ribbon tutus, and much more.

Her costumes have won costume awards at competitions. Dancers have placed at the highest level wearing her costumes at ballet competitions.  Her work has been requested by dancers nationally and internationally. 

In 2018, she entered Project Tutu, a 3-day competition held in Jackson, MS every four years with designers from around North America and placed second. She continues to follow her passion by designing custom ballet costumes (and the occasional evening gown) for private clients.

A graduate of the University of Vermont with a degree in business administration, her work experience has encompassed Latin America, Europe, and the US.

Cynthia now uses her marketing superpowers to help the greater good. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with her son and two dogs.

A graduate of the University of Vermont with a degree in business administration, her work experience has encompassed Latin America, Europe, and the US.

Cynthia now uses her marketing superpowers to help the greater good. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with her son and two dogs.