Born in Florence in 1943, she began studying dance at a very young age. She trained with Daria Collin, a prestigious Dutch teacher, who formed the first qualified generation of professional dancers in Florence.
In the 1960s, she refined her preparation at the Wacher Studios in Paris and at the International School in Cannes. At age sixteen she began working professionally at the main Italian theatres. She subsequently entered into the corps de ballet of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, where she interpreted soloist roles and, in 1971, she became a prima ballerina.
From the mid 1970s, she established a long term relationship - based on an intense collaboration and common artistic aims - with the Maestro Eugène Polyakov, Director of the corps de ballet.
In 1969, she participated in the Spoleto Festival, in the famous Gala of the Teatrino delle Sei, organized by Alberto Testa, and she received the Positano Prize for Dance.
During her career as prima ballerina she performed important roles of the classical and modern repertoire, and often appeared with famous dancers including Nureyev, Barishnikov, Godunov, Bortoluzzi, Vassiliev, Russillo and Amodio.
Strongly committed to cultural politics and organization in her city, she founded in 1970, along with qualified Florentine cultural promoters, the Centro Studi Danza, which is today the Scuola del Balletto di Toscana. She devoted herself to the promotion and renewal of the teaching of dance emphasizing its importance from a social and cultural point of view.
In 1975, she formed the Collettivo Danza Contemporanea in Florence. In 10 years of activity, she increased both its production and quality through the participation of a qualified group of dancers from the corps de ballet of the Maggio Musicale Fiornetino and with the collaboration, from this moment onwards, of Riccardo Donnini, her partner in life and work.
In 1983, at age 40, she left the Teatro Comunale in Florence and devoted herself more intensely to teaching and choreography.
After ten years of important experiences with the Collettivo, she founded in 1985, the Balletto di Toscana, of which she was always artistic director.
Owing to the immediate and growing success of this ensemble and its high professional value, she received the Tersicore Prize from the Accademia Internazionale delle Muse in May 1987 and, once again, the Positano Prize for Dance. In 1989 and in 1993, the ensemble also received the Danza & Danza Prize, assigned by the homonymous specilized magazine.
From 1985 to 2000, the Balletto di Toscana was composed of solist dancers of the highest technical and expressive level. Its remarkable international repertoire included choreographies by Hans Van Manen, Nils Christe, Ed Wubbe, Cristopher Bruce, Angelin Preljocaj, and Cesc Gelabert along with works by the new generation of talented Italian choreographers including Fabrizio Monteverde, Mauro Bigonzetti, Virgilio Sieni, and Eugenio Scigliano.
With this notable artistic production the BdT appeared in the most prestigious Italian theatres and in numerous tours throughout Europe and around the world, and became reknown internationally.
At the end of the experience with the BdT, Cristina Bozzolini began a fusion with the Balletto di Roma and, in spring 2002, she accepted the co-direction of this historic Company. She rapidly lead this group of talented dancers to the highest standards in Italy. Along with this new role, she continued directing the School of the Balletto di Toscana in Florence, a prestigious center - of national importance - for professional training. She created qualified producion and professional training through the “Junior Balletto di Toscana” a Company for young dancers. After only three years of programming in major Italian Festivals and Theaters, this Company is appreciated and considered, both by critics and by the public, the new “feather in the cap” of Italian dance.
Thanks to her extensive teaching experience and her competence in highly specialized dance didactic, she is continuosly invited by various Dance School Directions - connected with the Federazione Nazionale delle Scuole di Danza (National Federation of Dance Schools) of AGIS, Associazione Generale Italiana dello Spettacolo (Italian Association for Performing Arts) - to teach in courses and masterclasses for teachers in numerous Italian regions.
Due to her high level of experience and of competence she was conferred the role of Didactic Director of the new specializing professional programs started in 2008 by the Fondazione Nazionale della Danza/Aterballetto. In February 2008 she assumed the Artistic direction of Compagnia Aterballetto.
