SANDRINE MATTEI

Sandrine Mattei was born on the Mediterranean island of Corsica, France. At just 12 years old, she left home to pursue her dream of becoming a professional ballerina, earning a full scholarship to the Conservatoire National de Musique et de Danse in Nice. After completing her studies and receiving a Baccalaureate in Art, Literature, and Language, Sandrine went on to win numerous ballet competitions under the National Federation of Dance in France and across Europe. At 16, she was mentored by former Béjart Ballet Lausanne principal dancer Rita Poelvoorde and was invited to train at the Royal Ballet of Flanders in Antwerp under Robert Denvers. She began her professional career with the Ballet National de l'Opéra de Bordeaux under the direction of Charles Jude, before freelancing throughout Europe. Her career took a thrilling turn when she "ran away with the circus"—joining Cirque du Soleil as a soloist and aerialist in their groundbreaking, Grammy Award-winning production The Beatles LOVE at The Mirage in Las Vegas. After seven years in LOVE, she transitioned to another iconic Cirque show, MYSTÈRE, performing the principal role of The Black Widow. In addition to her onstage roles, Sandrine served as Dance Captain and Artist Coach for Cirque du Soleil and was featured in Dance Spirit Magazine for “Leading the Cast of LOVE.” She has collaborated with world-renowned choreographers such as Sonya Tayeh, Mandy Moore, Daniel Ezralow, and NappyTabs. Sandrine has performed at high-profile events including the GRAMMYs MusiCares Tribute alongside Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the America’s Got Talent Finale, the NHL Awards, the Latin Grammy Awards, the GLAAD Media Awards, and in Cirque du Soleil’s 3D feature film Worlds Away directed by James Cameron. She also appeared in One Night for One Drop alongside Lindsey Stirling. Currently, Sandrine is on faculty at OCSA’s Commercial Dance Conservatory, where she teaches aspiring young artists. She is also the founder and director of a private coaching and mentoring program in partnership with the Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center, where she also proudly serves on the Advisory Board.