Maria Perini was an Italian ballet

Ballet

Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...

 teacher who studied under the Italian ballet dancer and teacher Enrico Cecchetti

Enrico Cecchetti

Enrico Cecchetti was an Italian ballet dancer, mime, and founder of the Cecchetti method. The son of two dancers from Civitanova Marche, he was born in the costuming room of the Teatro Tordinona in Rome. After an illustrious career as a dancer in Europe, he went to dance for the Imperial Ballet in...

. In 1916, she opened the first private ballet studio in the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts

Tbilisi State Academy of Arts

The Tbilisi State Academy of Arts is one of the oldest universities in Georgia, Caucasus. It's located in the Tbilisi City near the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre on Rustaveli avenue ....

 building (the former House of Arshakuni) at Griboedovi street, Tbilisi

Tbilisi

Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...

, Georgia

Georgia (country)

Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...

. In 1920, it became the State Ballet School of Opera and Ballet Theatre, where she became a teacher and director. Perini grew up with several well-known artists, among them Vakhtang Chabukiani

Vakhtang Chabukiani

Vakhtang Chabukiani was a Georgian ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher highly regarded in his native country as well as abroad. He is considered to be one of the most influential male ballet dancers in history, and is noted for creating the majority of the choreography of the male variations...

, founders of the Georgian National Ballet

Georgian National Ballet

The Georgian National Ballet was the first professional state dance company in Georgia. Founded by Iliko Sukhishvili and Nino Ramishvili in 1945, it was initially named as the Georgian State Dance Company...

 theater Iliko Sukhishvili and Nino Ramishvili, Tamar Chabukiani, and Solomon (Soliko) Virsaladze. She was married to the Polish-Georgian artist Henryk Hryniewski

Henryk Hryniewski

Henryk Hryniewski was a Polish-Georgian painter, graphic artist, and illustrator also known as a scholar of traditional Georgian architecture and educator...

.