- MFA Dance, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
- BS Chemical Engineering, Universidade Santa Cecilia
- Teacher Certification Program, Royal Academy of Dance (São Paulo, Brazil)
BIO
Paula Higa is a Brazilian-born American choreographer, improviser, educator, and artistic director of PH Dance. She is an Associate Professor and Resident Choreographer in the Theatre and Dance Program at ¶¶Òõ̽̽. Higa holds a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Dance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Chemical Engineering from Brazil.
Higa's choreographic practice and research focus on the themes that arise at the intersection of Dance and visual arts. Her work is grounded in feminism and aims to highlight the discriminatory issues that persist in our society. She has produced and directed dance films, created original choreographies, and performed worldwide in places such as the USA, Europe, and South America.
She has received several grants, including the NEFA—New England Dance Fund Grant, ¶¶Òõ̽̽—Coor Collaborative Fellows Award, Vermont Arts Council, and Vermont Community Foundation Grant.
Her work has won awards all over the world, including in Canada, Germany, Spain, Portugal, India, Bulgary, Brazil, etc. Her recent film, "The Migrant Body," won the Best Choreography award at the Canadian Experimental, Dance, & Music Film Festival, the Jury Special Mention at Spain's Festival Girona en Moviment, and the Audience Award at ARFF Berlin in Germany.
Courses
- DNCE 011 - Contemporary Dance I
- DNCE 012 - Contemporary Dance II
- DNCE 111- Contemporary Dance III
- DNCE 112 - Contemporary Dance IV
- DNCE 021 - Ballet I
- DNCE 022 - Ballet II
- DNCE 121 - Ballet III
- DNCE 033 - D2: Brazilian Dance
- DNCE 060 - Movement & Improvisation
- DNCE 177 - Site Performance Practicum
- DNCE 050 - Dance History and Legends
- DNCE 005 - D2:World Dance
Publications
Awards and Achievements
- ¶¶Òõ̽̽ - Summer Research Award, Humanities Center
- BCA - Burlington City Arts
- NEFA - New England Foundation for the Arts
- ​NEFA - Dance Project
- VAC - Vermont Arts Council
- VCF - Vermont Community Foundation
- ¶¶Òõ̽̽ - CAS International Publication Grant
- ¶¶Òõ̽̽ - Faculty Development Grant for the Arts Award
- ¶¶Òõ̽̽ - Coor Collaborative Fellows Award
- ​¶¶Òõ̽̽ - OVPR Express
- ​¶¶Òõ̽̽ - Seed Award
- ¶¶Òõ̽̽ - Writing in the Disciplines Award
- ¶¶Òõ̽̽ - International Travel Fund Award
- ¶¶Òõ̽̽ - Small Grant Research Award Fund
- UWM - Milwaukee, Departmental Award and UWM Chancellor’s Award
- Paula Higa was awarded a Bronze Medal for her dance film, The One I Wanted to Be by the Independent Shorts Awards (ISA), an international film festival.
- Paula Higa was awarded the Coor Collaborative Fellowship Award by the ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Humanities Center in support of her and Jenn Karson's project, Intermedia + Technology.
- Paula Higa receives a New England Foundation for the Arts Grant to support the creation of Urbano a new work that will focus on the urban environment and the impact that big cities can cause on an individual's life.
- Paula Higa receives the Vermont Community Foundation Grant to support her dance film The One I Wanted to Be
- Paula Higa receives the Vermont Arts Councils - Artist Development Grant to support her dance film Holding the Center Still in collaboration with visual artist Debra Weisberg
- Paula Higa receives the Vermont Community Foundation Grant to support her project The Migrant Body
Area(s) of expertise
Contemporary dance; Brazilian dance; Dance History/Culture; Dance and Technology
Bio
Paula Higa is a Brazilian-born American choreographer, improviser, educator, and artistic director of PH Dance. She is an Associate Professor and Resident Choreographer in the Theatre and Dance Program at ¶¶Òõ̽̽. Higa holds a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Dance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Chemical Engineering from Brazil.
Higa's choreographic practice and research focus on the themes that arise at the intersection of Dance and visual arts. Her work is grounded in feminism and aims to highlight the discriminatory issues that persist in our society. She has produced and directed dance films, created original choreographies, and performed worldwide in places such as the USA, Europe, and South America.
She has received several grants, including the NEFA—New England Dance Fund Grant, ¶¶Òõ̽̽—Coor Collaborative Fellows Award, Vermont Arts Council, and Vermont Community Foundation Grant.
Her work has won awards all over the world, including in Canada, Germany, Spain, Portugal, India, Bulgary, Brazil, etc. Her recent film, "The Migrant Body," won the Best Choreography award at the Canadian Experimental, Dance, & Music Film Festival, the Jury Special Mention at Spain's Festival Girona en Moviment, and the Audience Award at ARFF Berlin in Germany.
Courses
- DNCE 011 - Contemporary Dance I
- DNCE 012 - Contemporary Dance II
- DNCE 111- Contemporary Dance III
- DNCE 112 - Contemporary Dance IV
- DNCE 021 - Ballet I
- DNCE 022 - Ballet II
- DNCE 121 - Ballet III
- DNCE 033 - D2: Brazilian Dance
- DNCE 060 - Movement & Improvisation
- DNCE 177 - Site Performance Practicum
- DNCE 050 - Dance History and Legends
- DNCE 005 - D2:World Dance
Publications
Awards and Achievements
- ¶¶Òõ̽̽ - Summer Research Award, Humanities Center
- BCA - Burlington City Arts
- NEFA - New England Foundation for the Arts
- ​NEFA - Dance Project
- VAC - Vermont Arts Council
- VCF - Vermont Community Foundation
- ¶¶Òõ̽̽ - CAS International Publication Grant
- ¶¶Òõ̽̽ - Faculty Development Grant for the Arts Award
- ¶¶Òõ̽̽ - Coor Collaborative Fellows Award
- ​¶¶Òõ̽̽ - OVPR Express
- ​¶¶Òõ̽̽ - Seed Award
- ¶¶Òõ̽̽ - Writing in the Disciplines Award
- ¶¶Òõ̽̽ - International Travel Fund Award
- ¶¶Òõ̽̽ - Small Grant Research Award Fund
- UWM - Milwaukee, Departmental Award and UWM Chancellor’s Award
- Paula Higa was awarded a Bronze Medal for her dance film, The One I Wanted to Be by the Independent Shorts Awards (ISA), an international film festival.
- Paula Higa was awarded the Coor Collaborative Fellowship Award by the ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Humanities Center in support of her and Jenn Karson's project, Intermedia + Technology.
- Paula Higa receives a New England Foundation for the Arts Grant to support the creation of Urbano a new work that will focus on the urban environment and the impact that big cities can cause on an individual's life.
- Paula Higa receives the Vermont Community Foundation Grant to support her dance film The One I Wanted to Be
- Paula Higa receives the Vermont Arts Councils - Artist Development Grant to support her dance film Holding the Center Still in collaboration with visual artist Debra Weisberg
- Paula Higa receives the Vermont Community Foundation Grant to support her project The Migrant Body
Areas of Expertise
Contemporary dance; Brazilian dance; Dance History/Culture; Dance and Technology
Paula Higa in the news
Paula Higa in the News
- 03/03/2023 - Published by Seven Days, Burlington, VT. Written by Elizabeth Seiler. 2023
- 10/01/23, The Migrant Body nominated for 2023 Pitch to Screen Festival in NYC
- 04/27/21, ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Department of Theatre and Dance Faculty member Paula Higa was awarded a Bronze Medal for her dance film, The One I Wanted to Be by the Independent Shorts Awards (ISA), an international film festival.
- 02/05/20, ""
¶¶Òõ̽̽ dance lecturer Paula Higa's duet found inspiration in two poems by early 20th-century Portuguese poet Florbela Espanca. Titled "The Woman That I Would Like to Be," the piece deals with themes of violence against women and will be danced by members of Higa's company,
"It's very aggressive in terms of movement. I want to show the kind of violence that we suffer in daily life," in physical, emotional and other realms, Higa said. The piece works with a duality, she continued: "Are you the woman who is experiencing the violence, or are you the angry woman? The characters, the dancers, switch places."