Almudena Maldonado graduated from the Conservatorio Profesional de Danza in Murcia, Spain, before continuing her training at the Escuela de Ballet Carmina Ocaña y Pablo Savoye, following the Bournonville and Balanchine pedagogy. In 2013, she joined the Companhia Nacional do Bailado in Lisbon, Portugal, under the direction of Luisa Taveira, Paulo Ribeiro, Sofia Campos and Carlos Prado. There she performed a varied repertoire, including works by Mauro Bigonzetti, William Forsythe and Hans Van Manen. In 2021, she was promoted to coryphée and joined the Lyon Opera Ballet in 2023.