Marija Simona Smolskienė was born on 17 October 1983 in Vilnius. In 2004 she graduated from the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art, where she received her foundational training in classical ballet.
From 2005 to 2008 she worked as a professional ballet soloist at leading theatres across Scandinavia and the Baltic region: the Finnish National Opera, Vanemuine Theatre in Estonia, and later as a guest soloist at the Royal Swedish Opera.
She went on to earn a Master’s degree in theatre direction from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, furthering her expertise through residencies at the Royal Academy of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, and the Norwegian Theatre Academy. GuildHall · Royal Academy of Music · Vanemuine
In 2010 she founded the Baltic Ballet Theatre (BBT). She lectured at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre for five years — in the theatre and film faculty and as head of the opera singing department.
Since 2008, as director and choreographer, she has created over 40 premieres spanning opera, contemporary ballet, drama and theatrical music works. Marija Simona writes the libretti and designs the visual concepts for her original productions herself, directing a core ensemble of 25 professional ballet dancers regularly joined by guest artists from Brazil, Italy, Japan, Ukraine and France.
Since 2009, she has pursued ongoing collaborations, educational visits and residencies at some of the world’s most distinguished companies and institutions, among them: Sydney Dance Company (Australia), Gran Teatro de La Habana Alicia Alonso (Cuba), Iceland Dance Company, Royal Opera House, English National Ballet and Guildhall School of Music and Drama (England), Dutch National Opera (Netherlands), Dansekapellet Copenhagen (Denmark), Royal Swedish Opera, The Vienna State Opera, Finnish National Opera, Estonian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, Vanemuine Theatre and Sadamateater (Estonia), Konzerthaus Berlin (Germany), Latvian National Opera, Teatr Wielki Łódź (Poland), Opéra national de Paris, National Theatre of Great Britain, Shakespeare’s Globe, London Coliseum, His Majesty’s Theatre London, Teatro di San Carlo Naples, Teatro alla Scala Milan, The Greek Theatre of Syracuse, and Sydney Opera House, among others.
Led by Marija Simona, the Baltic Ballet Theatre performs at festivals, public events, television programmes and private occasions not only in Lithuania but also in Denmark, the Netherlands, Monaco, France, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Italy and beyond. Productions draw on a rich musical palette — from Depeche Mode, Metallica, Björk, ABBA, The Beatles and Queen to classical scores by Bizet, Puccini, Mozart, Verdi and Nino Rota — welcoming an audience of students, seniors, dance specialists and first-time visitors alike.
For corporate clients, Marija Simona creates bespoke performances involving company employees alongside professional dancers, incorporating 3D visuals, holographic installations and non-traditional musical compositions. She served as lead choreographer for the Lithuanian television project Šokio revoliucija (“Revolution of Dance”). In autumn 2019 she launched the BBT education studio, offering ballet training for professional dancers, juniors and children — in groups and individually.
She collaborates with Lithuanian and international theatres, cultural institutions and higher education organisations, and conducts creative seminars on body language (non-verbal communication), sense of space, freedom of emotional expression and contemporary classical dance.