Paulina Guraieb

Paulina Guraieb was born in Cordoba, Mexico and began her dance training at Fomento Artístico Cordobés at the age of 3.

While training there, she attended summer intensives at The Rock School for Dance Education, American Ballet Theatre JKO School, Texas Ballet Theatre, and Houston Ballet Academy.

In 2007, Paulina won the Hope Award at the Youth America Grand Prix in New York, Gold Medal at Mexico’s National Ballet Competition for three consecutive years, Junior Bronze Medal in 2014 at USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MS., and was the first Mexican dancer in history to be awarded Gold Medal as well as the Grand Prix in Cuba’s International Ballet Competition in 2014 – the most prestigious ballet competition in Latin America.

Paulina continued her professional training at the Houston Ballet Academy, where she danced for three years before joining Mexico’s National Dance Company where she danced as a soloist. She was invited to perform at the 50th Anniversary Gala of The Spoleto Festival in Italy (2007) being the youngest dancer to ever perform at the festival. Paulina also performed at the “Stars of Today Meet Stars of Tomorrow” YAGP Gala in Mexico for 5 consecutive years, and represented Mexico at the XIX International Ballet Festival of Miami in 2014. 

Paulina has worked with world-renowned choreographers such as Ben Stevenson, Stanton Welch, Dwight Rhoden, Desmond Richardson, Alberto Mendez, among others. She has performed soloist and principal roles in major ballet productions such as Myrtha in Giselle, The Snow Queen and Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Kitri in Don Quixote and Swanhilda in Coppelia. 

Paulina holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and a minor in Dance Performance from Southern Methodist University (2019), as well as a Master’s degree in Dance Education: Teaching Dance in the Professions and ABT Pedagogy from New York University (2021) and is fully certified by the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum in Pre-Primary through Level 7 and partnering. 

Paulina was a faculty member at the Steps on Broadway Youth Programs as well as the Children’s Division of the American Ballet Theatre JKO School in New York for 2 years before moving to Houston in 2023.