Maëlle Garnier was born in Lyon and began her studies at the age of 6 at the Guillemette Meyrieux dance school. At the age of 17, she entered the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Danse de Lyon. During this 4-year course, she studied a rich repertoire that enabled her to discover and dance works by choreographers such as Pina Bausch, William Forsythe, Cyril Baldy, Julian Nicosia and Emanuel Gat. She joined the Ballet de l’Opéra de Lyon in October 2025.