Denis Maciel began his dance training in 2009 at the Escola De Dança Alice Arja in Brazil with Alice Arja and Daniela Silva. In 2012, he was awarded a full scholarship to the Escola de Dança do Conservatório Nacional – Lisboa after competing in Passo de Artes Indaiatuba São Paulo. Denis participated in the YAGP selective in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2013.

In 2014, after being awarded a full scholarship to Miami City Ballet School, Maciel moved to the USA, where he trained with Geta Constantinescu, Olivier Pardina, and Maria Torija. During his training, he performed George Balanchine’s Western Symphony and Etudes. Denis went on to dance with City Ballet of San Diego, where he was featured in Peter Martins’s Hallelujah Junction, and with Ballet Tucson, where he performed in Paquita and The Phantom of the Opera.

In 2018, he joined the ranks of Philadelphia Ballet under Angel Corella. There, he has been featured in classics such as Don Quixote, Swan Lake, and Coppélia, as well as Balanchine’s Who Cares? and new works by Andonis Foniadakis and Garrett Smith.

In 2024, Maciel was an original cast member of Pointeworks, performing in Press Play by Caili Quan and Floreciente by Melody Mennite during its inaugural season in San Diego.

Instagram: @maciel_dennis