Maya Collins was born in San Francisco, California, and began her dance training at the age of four with Damara Bennett and Henry Berg at City Ballet School in San Francisco. Ms. Collins entered the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, full time in the fall of 2002. In the fall of 2003, Ms. Collins became an apprentice with New York City Ballet. As an apprentice she originated a corps role in Christopher Wheeldon's Shambards in May 2004. One month later, Ms. Collins joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet.