Old Mill Building, Room 332
94 University Pl
Burlington, VT 05405
United States
- MFA Dance, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
- BS Chemical Engineering, Universidade Santa Cecilia
- Teacher Certification Program, Royal Academy of Dance (São Paulo, Brazil)
- Progressing Ballet Technique Certified (PBT)
- NYU – Performing Arts Essentials
Areas of expertise
Contemporary dance; Brazilian dance; Dance History/Culture; Dance and Technology
BIO
Paula Higa is a Brazilian-born dancer, choreographer, and educator with a rich and varied background in both the performing arts and academia. She earned her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Dance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Brazil.
Paula has established an esteemed career at the University of Vermont (UVM), where she is committed to promoting creativity and artistic expression among her students. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she serves as the Artistic Director and Founder of PHD – Paula Higa Dance, where she presents her distinctive choreographic vision. Paula has garnered significant recognition and numerous accolades for her contributions to the field of dance, including the Best Choreography Award at the Experimental, Dance & Music Film Festival (2023) in Canada, a Special Mention from the Jury at the Festival Girona en Moviment in Spain, an Honorable Mention at the Golden Film Festival in the United States, and distinctions as an Award Winner and Audience Finalist at the ARFF Berlin International Awards. Her works have also been featured in video installations at the Inshadow Lisbon Screendance Festival and have been officially selected for festivals across Europe, North America, and South America.
Her choreographic works have been showcased at prestigious venues such as the Atlas, ImPulsTanz – Vienna International Dance Festival in Austria, Casa de las Conchas in Salamanca, the Institute Guimarães Rosa in Barcelona, and the Pinacoteca Benedito Calixto in Brazil, as well as numerous locations throughout the United States such as Lafayette College in Easton - PA, Five Points Arts Gallery in Torrington, CT, and Burlington City Arts (BCA) in Burlington, VT. These accomplishments highlight her significant impact on contemporary dance. In recognition of her artistic contributions, she has received several distinguished grants and awards, including the New England Dance Fund Grant, the Vermont Community Foundation, and UVM internal grants.
In addition to her artistic endeavors, Paula is actively involved in academic circles, contributing to conferences and publications that highlight Brazilian cultural studies and contemporary dance. She is also set to expand her influence internationally as a Visiting Professor at the University of Salamanca's Brazilian Studies Center in Spain during the 2025-2026 academic year.
Paula Higa continues to inspire students and audiences alike through her innovative teaching methods and artistic projects, leaving a lasting impact on the field of dance and performance. For more information, visit her webpage.
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
- UVM - 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
- UVM - CAS International Publication Grant
- UVM - Faculty Development Grant for the Arts Award
- UVM - Coor Collaborative Fellows Award
- UVM - OVPR Express
- UVM - Seed Award
- UVM - Writing in the Disciplines Award
- UVM - International Travel Fund Award
- UVM - 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 UVM 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
Bio
Paula Higa is a Brazilian-born dancer, choreographer, and educator with a rich and varied background in both the performing arts and academia. She earned her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Dance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Brazil.
Paula has established an esteemed career at the University of Vermont (UVM), where she is committed to promoting creativity and artistic expression among her students. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she serves as the Artistic Director and Founder of PHD – Paula Higa Dance, where she presents her distinctive choreographic vision. Paula has garnered significant recognition and numerous accolades for her contributions to the field of dance, including the Best Choreography Award at the Experimental, Dance & Music Film Festival (2023) in Canada, a Special Mention from the Jury at the Festival Girona en Moviment in Spain, an Honorable Mention at the Golden Film Festival in the United States, and distinctions as an Award Winner and Audience Finalist at the ARFF Berlin International Awards. Her works have also been featured in video installations at the Inshadow Lisbon Screendance Festival and have been officially selected for festivals across Europe, North America, and South America.
Her choreographic works have been showcased at prestigious venues such as the Atlas, ImPulsTanz – Vienna International Dance Festival in Austria, Casa de las Conchas in Salamanca, the Institute Guimarães Rosa in Barcelona, and the Pinacoteca Benedito Calixto in Brazil, as well as numerous locations throughout the United States such as Lafayette College in Easton - PA, Five Points Arts Gallery in Torrington, CT, and Burlington City Arts (BCA) in Burlington, VT. These accomplishments highlight her significant impact on contemporary dance. In recognition of her artistic contributions, she has received several distinguished grants and awards, including the New England Dance Fund Grant, the Vermont Community Foundation, and UVM internal grants.
In addition to her artistic endeavors, Paula is actively involved in academic circles, contributing to conferences and publications that highlight Brazilian cultural studies and contemporary dance. She is also set to expand her influence internationally as a Visiting Professor at the University of Salamanca's Brazilian Studies Center in Spain during the 2025-2026 academic year.
Paula Higa continues to inspire students and audiences alike through her innovative teaching methods and artistic projects, leaving a lasting impact on the field of dance and performance. For more information, visit her webpage.
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
- UVM - 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
- UVM - CAS International Publication Grant
- UVM - Faculty Development Grant for the Arts Award
- UVM - Coor Collaborative Fellows Award
- UVM - OVPR Express
- UVM - Seed Award
- UVM - Writing in the Disciplines Award
- UVM - International Travel Fund Award
- UVM - 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 UVM 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
Paula Higa in the news
Paula Higa in the News
- 03/03/2023 - New Works by Paula Higa Dance Explore Themes of Migration and Identity. 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, UVM 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, "Vermont Choreographers Accept Challenge to Create New Work in a Month"
UVM 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, Paula Higa Dance
"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."
- 12/12/19, "Paula Higa to appear with Daniel Bernard Roumain in Flynn Theatre Student Matinee Series"
- 2019, Paula Higa is awarded a New England Foundation for the Arts Grant.
- 4/12/19, "Paula Higa certified in Progressing Ballet Technique"
- 12/13/16, "Paula Higa premiers master's thesis project on dystonia and dance"