Maria “Chi Chi” Diaz was born in Mendoza, Argentina. Beginning at the age of six she trained in ballet and gymnastics. She received her ballet training at the Escuela Municipal de Danzas de Mar del Plata, (The Mar del Plata School for Dance)
She trained in gymnastics with the Argentinean junior national gymnastics team, and competed until the age of 12, when she began to study ballet in Argentina's prestigious Colon Theatre. By 1982 at the age of 15 she was dancing as a soloist with the Colon Theatre company. In 1983 she joined Liliana Belfiore's Ballet Concierto de Buenos Aires as a principal dancer.
Her credits as a soloist and prima ballerina include: Les Sylphides, Napoli, Estudios, Coppelia, Cielo e Inferno, Carmen, and Giselle. Her partners include such names as Julio Boca, Maximiliano Guerra, and Vladimir Vassiliev.
