Paula Mann has been a choreographer for twenty-eight years. Mann was co-artistic director of the New York based company Dudek /Mann & Dancers with Tina Dudek from 1980-1986. In 1987 Mann moved to the Twin Cities and started Paula Mann Dance. In 2003 she formed Time Track Productions with media artist Steve Paul. Mann has been recognized with several awards from the McKnight Foundation, including a 2003-2004 Fellowship for Choreographers, the Jerome Foundation, Meet the Composer, the MN State Arts Board, MRAC Arts Activities and Community Arts, 2005 MN State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant, two Sage Cowles Chairs and a Bush Artist Fellowship. Mann has created over 50 new works throughout her entire career. She is full time faculty at the University of Minnesota Department of Theater and Dance.

Artist Philosophy
The evolution of human consciousness is of great interest to me. Will humanity take the great leap that is now required to move forward? This question propels me to find the personal, to look to my inner narrative for choreographic material and also fully consider how external events shape my work. In rehearsal I value staying present, authentic and honest in the moment, allowing the work to reflect that initial inspiration. It’s difficult to label the genre of my work. At times the press has called it “Post-Modern,” “Experimental,” “Avant-Garde,” “Absurdist,” none of these exactly fit. But the questioning resulted in an intensive study and experimentation into the nature of performance, examining how the language of film fit into live performance, how projection and image gave new layers and meaning to a work. Questioning how pop culture and high art intermingle, shining light on cultural and ethnic juxtapositions, constantly attempting to understand how the experience of live performance could take an audience to a greater perception of reality.

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