Az Big Media will be profiling one of the Most Influential Women in Arizona for 2026 each day leading up to the celebratory dinner on August 20, 2025. Today, meet Daniela Cardim of Ballet Arizona.
From a field of more than 2,200 women under consideration, the Most Influential Women in Arizona were selected by the editorial board of Az Business magazine and a panel of 12 former Most Influential Women. The Most Influential Women in Arizona Business for 2026 will be honored at a celebratory dinner on Aug. 20, 2026, at Chateau Luxe in Phoenix. The Spotlight Award Sponsor for the Most Influential Women of 2026 is CORE Construction, the Special Gift Sponsor is Tarbell’s, the VIP Sponsor is GCON, the VIP Reception Sponsor is Cullum Homes, the Cover Photo Shoot Sponsor is Greenberg Traurig, the Beverage Sponsor is Arizona Escrow & Financial, the Valet Sponsor in Stevens-Leinweber, the Floral Sponsor is PCL Construction, the Dessert Sponsor is SottoPelle and Tutera Medical, the 360 Photo Booth Sponsor is Clayco, the Step-and -Repeat Sponsor is Morris Hall, the Digital Sponsor is Desert Diamond Casinos, the Floral Provider is PJs Flowers and the Production Sponsor is Merestone.
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Daniela Cardim, artistic director, Ballet Arizona
Background: Cardim became artistic director of Ballet Arizona in July 2024. She is the fourth artistic director in the company’s history and its first female leader. With more than 30 years in the ballet world, she began her career in 1994 with the Ballet of the Municipal Theatre of Rio de Janeiro and later danced with Dutch National Ballet. After retiring from the stage, she shifted into creative and organizational roles, serving in key leadership positions at New English Ballet Theatre in London from 2013 onward.
Advice to younger self: “Have patience and trust that when a door closes, it is because it wasn’t meant to be, and a better door will open in the future. That is the heart of the advice I would give my younger self. The moments that feel like endings often turn out to be beginnings in disguise, and with time, you will see that most closed doors were clearing the path for something better than you imagined.”
Surprising fact: “After retiring from dancing, I returned to university to study arts management, where I earned a first-class honors degree. While many dancers move directly into teaching or choreography, I wanted to better understand the organizational side of the field. Combining my experience in ballet with formal training has helped me prepare for leadership roles in a more structured way.”
