At just 10 years old, Sandra Mihai is taking Romanian dance performance to famous international stages, consolidating through her talent Romania's position in the world's ballet elite. The little ballerina represented Romania on the stage of the IDO World Championship 2025 in De Panne, Belgium - one of the most prestigious international competitions, where thousands of dancers from dozens of countries fight year after year for the glory of the podium. In front of an demanding panel of judges and fierce competition, Sandra dazzled, taking first place in the Ballet Repertoire Solo - Female Children category. This extraordinary performance has made her one of Romania's most valuable young people, and she has been enrolled in the national campaign "100 Youngsters for Romania's Development", 2025 edition, run by the Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania - a project that identifies and supports young talents who can change the destiny of the country through excellence and ambition.
Mihai Sandra Elena is a fourth grade student at the National Pedagogical College "Constantin Cantacuzino" in Târgoviște. She discovered dancing at an age when other children were just learning to read sentences, and over the next six years, under the guidance of Daniela Rotari's ballet school, she built step by step the technique, discipline and rigor specific to classical ballet. Wanting more, Sandra and her family made a brave choice: four days a week, they commute to Bucharest to work at the Independent Arts by Cezara Blioju studio, where she studies classical ballet with teacher Mădălina Mechenici. With every rehearsal, every exercise and every lift, Sandra shapes not only her body but also her dream - to become a professional ballerina.
Although she is only 10 years old, Sandra has managed to conquer important podiums in the dance world. At international competitions such as Dance Star in Poreč (Croatia), Movmnt International Dance Competition in Ruse (Bulgaria), she won 1st place, and at the Dance World Cup in Burgos (Spain), she won 5th place. At the IDO World Championship in De Panne, Belgium, she pushed herself beyond her own limits, winning both gold in solo ballet repertoire and 3rd place in solo ballet open. On Romanian stages, Sandra confirmed that her performance is not by chance. At Dance RO, Young Artist Grand Prix and Sibiu Dance Competition, she won first place each time, consolidating her status as a small phenomenon of Romanian ballet.
When she is not competing, Sandra attends workshops and masterclasses with teachers from home and abroad, preparing intensively for new challenges and competitions, including the prestigious Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP). Her dream is clear: one day, she wants to dance on London's Royal Ballet stage. And anyone who's seen her dance understands that this dream is not just a childhood game, but the beginning of a great destiny written in ballet steps.
