Artist bio:
Paula Higa is a Brazilian-born American choreographer who has been dancing, teaching, and performing for over 35 years in both Brazil and the USA. She is currently an Assistant Professor and Resident Choreographer in the School of the Arts - Dance Program at the University of Vermont. She holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a BS in Chemical Engineering from Brazil. She has produced and directed dance films, created original choreographies, and performed nationally and internationally as a soloist and with her dance company, PH Dance. She has received several grants, including the NEFA - New England Dance Fund Grant, UVM - Coor Collaborative Fellows Award, Vermont Arts Council, and Vermont Community Foundation Grant, to name a few. She has also won awards in Europe, and North and South America. 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. Paula has collaborated with and performed for renowned artists in the U.S., Europe, and Brazil. Artistic statement: I am a dance maker who believes that choreography is a form of research. My artistic interest lies in exploring themes that emerge at the intersection of dance and visual arts. My works are rooted in feminism and aim to shed light on discriminatory issues that persist in our society. Through my art, I seek to amplify the voices of underrepresented groups and encourage my audience to reflect on the power inequalities, gender hierarchies, and patriarchal structures that shape our world. In my creative process, I investigate the relationship between body, movement, and narrative, and use this information to create sophisticated yet provocative dances. I am a firm believer in the transformative power of the arts. Paula Higa |
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