Hortensia V. Fonseca

Hortensia V. Fonseca, 103, of Wheaton, Maryland passed away on August 9, 2025, at home of natural causes. Mrs. Fonseca leaves an enduring legacy as the Founder and Artistic Director of the Academy of the Maryland Youth Ballet (MYB) which today, after more than 50 years, continues to carry on her heritage of excellence in training students for careers in classical ballet. Today, MYB annually enrolls over 1,500 children and adults.

Fonseca was born in Costa Rica and came to the United States in 1945 to pursue her dream of becoming a professional ballerina in New York City where she studied at American Ballet Theatre (ABT). Although she was eventually offered the opportunity to join the company, she had already met and decided to marry the love of her life, Jaime M. Fonseca. They moved to Washington, DC where she continued her ballet studies with Mary Day at The Washington Ballet. Soon, Fonseca began teaching and sharing her love of ballet to young children in the basement of their small home in Wheaton Silver Spring, Maryland but quickly outgrew that space and moved to a studio in Bethesda, Maryland.

In 1971, her school was incorporated as a charitable non-profit and the rest is ballet training history. Over the next several decades, much like the flowers in her lovingly-tended garden, Mrs. Fonseca was instrumental in cultivating the professional careers of many successful dancers including Susan Jaffe, Julie Kent, and MYB's current artistic director, Deidre Byrne. Fonseca was awarded the 2003 Pola Nirenska Award for Lifetime Achievement, named Teacher of the Year in 2004 by Dance Teacher Magazine, and received the 2005 Montgomery County Excellence in the Arts and Humanities Education Award. However, it was the deep affection and appreciation of the thousands of students who knew her simply as "Tensia" that she cherished. Her genuine love for all her students, her warm smile, the way she held your hand and looked into your eyes, and the incredible inspiration she was to us all, will be sorely missed.

Fonseca is survived by three of her five sons: Julio, James, and John; Paul and Peter passed away as young adults. She leaves 10 grandchildren, Phil, Melanie, Christine, Andrew, Matthew, Thomas, Alicia, Nick, Brandon, and Rose as well as nine great-grandchildren, James, Lilli, Asa, Hank, Emma, Charlie, Caelyn, Frankie, and Percey.

Memorial events being held:
Viewing on August 18, 2025
2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Blvd West, Silver Spring, MD 20901

Funeral Service on August 19, 2025
10 a.m. to 12 Noon
St. Catherine Laboure, 11801 Claridge Road, Wheaton, MD 20902

Celebration of Life on August 20, 2025
10 a.m. to 12 Noon
Maryland Youth Ballet, 926 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20910
RSVP Required:
www.marylandyouthballet.org

Memorial donations may be made to the Fonseca Scholarship Fund:
www.marylandyouthballet.org/fonseca-fund/

Flowers may be sent to the Collins Funeral Home.