Mavis Avril Staines CM is a Canadian ballet dancer and teacher. Staines grew up in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. In 1972, she graduated from Canada's National Ballet School. After becoming a first soloist with the National Ballet of Canada, Staines later joined The Dutch National Ballet where original work was created for her. After an injury cut her performance career short, she returned to Canada, enrolling in the National Ballet School's Teacher Training Program. She became a member of the Artistic Faculty in 1982. In 1989 she was appointed Artistic Director of the School. For the celebration of the School’s 50th anniversary in 2009, she helped gather 13 of NBS’s partner schools from around the world to present the Assemblée Internationale with a focus on collaboration; a second Assemblée Internationale was remounted in 2013, with a focus on introducing new technology. Staines retired from her role as Artistic Director in June 2024.