Zoila Peña, was born in Barinas, Venezuela. She began ballet dancing at age 8 at the Fundacion Barijazz and continued her studies with Ballet Estudio Central at 12 years old, where she was taught by Dulce Rodríguez, Héctor Trejo, and Levi Mocharrafich. Her professional career commenced at 17 years old as Principal Soloist at Ballet Teresa Carreño in 2017, followed by a promotion to Principal Dancer in 2022. She has delivered performances of leading roles in The Nutcracker, Paquita, Coppélia, Black Swan, and Giselle, to name a few, and has performed numerous works by Vicente Nebreda. In 2024, she worked alongside artistic directors of Gulfshore Ballet, Iliana Lopez and Franklin Gamero, distinguished former principal dancers of the Miami City Ballet. In January 2025, she participated in the renowned Miami International Ballet Competition (MIBC), winning first place with gold medals in the solo and pas de deux categories. Zoila is thrilled to begin her first season with the Company and looks forward to continuing her career with Richmond Ballet and its entire team!