Born in Auckland, New Zealand, she undertook her early training in Australia, and later at the Royal Ballet School.
Maureen's involvement with ballet when she returned to England from 1968 onwards, was mainly as an examiner for the Royal Ballet School.
In 1946, following in the footsteps of Bettina Edward's student Rowena Jackson, she emigrated to England on scholarship to the Royal Ballet School, studying with Winifred Edwards, George Goncharov, Vera Volkova and Audrey de Vos.
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A number of well known professional ballet schools were also founded teaching a curriculum based on the Cecchetti method, including the Royal Ballet School, Rambert Ballet School, National Ballet School of Canada, and the Australian Ballet School.
MacDonald has started work on The Grand Coda, a memorial to Dame Ninette de Valois, founder of The Royal Ballet and The Royal Ballet School.
The monument is to be installed at White Lodge in Richmond Park, London, England, a historic royal retreat that is now home to The Royal Ballet School.